


Growing Heart

by duaba



Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2018-11-17 04:16:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 67,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11267754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duaba/pseuds/duaba
Summary: Protecting her fellow Shandians and avoiding the wrath of "God" were all Sid could afford to think about. She does not have time for her dreams. And yet, something about this bunch of Blue Sea people has piqued her curiosity once more. - Starts at Skypiea and eventual Law x OC. Just bear with me for one arc - (Rated M for now cuz I want to keep my options open)





	1. A Change in Environment

**\---6 Years Before the Straw Hats arrive in Skypiea---**

Chief Urepo could count on one hand the things that made him nervous. As one of the oldest living members of the Shandia tribe and having fought in many battles, his reputation of being unshakable was something he took great pride in. He had led many warriors straight into the heart of Upper Yard and shed Skypeian blood without hesitation. He had made decisions to retreat many times without a blink of an eye as well as decisions to push through despite their dwindling numbers with equal resolve.

As it happens, the things that made him nervous were all people. One was first and foremost his wife, making their wedding day still an embarrassing story for him to tell. She had been the one and only thing that made him sweat and second guess himself for a very long time.

Maybe he was getting old in age or maybe it could be that this was a sign of changing times but the other two people that gave the chief anxiety only came into his life after he had retired from the battlefield. Unfortunately, the two of them were presently standing before him and both were in foul moods. At least the chief could find slight comfort that only one of them was mad at him.

"You expect me to marry that?!" Urepo's granddaughter demanded. The two strands of hair she had tied near the front of her face swayed violently while the rest of her reddish brown hair was tied into two loose buns. Her matching reddish brown eyes glared right into the chief's while her long, bony finger pointed accusingly at the man at her side.

The end of 22 year old Wyper's cigar was practically chewed clean through with how much his teeth clenched. "That?" he seethed.

"I-It's a fine match, Cassidy," Urepo tried, "And..and it won't be until you are 18 so you have at least two years to get used to it."

Her eyebrows flew to the top of her head. "Get used to it? This isn't a new waver we're talking about here. This is marriage!"

"I'm sure he's familiar with the concept, Sid, given that he's been married longer than any of us have been alive," quipped Kamikiri from the back of the tent.

She spun around and directed her rage towards the peanut gallery. "Shut up, you bug eyed jerk. What are you even doing here anyways? This doesn't concern you."

"Actually, your grandfather called me here. Seeing as I'm your cousin and Wyper's best friend, it's natural that I be present as a witness," Kamakiri grinned.

 _And peacemaker_ , Urepo thought.

It was evident how badly Sid was taking the news by how pale her naturally tanned skin became. She looked over at her grandfather. "You...you can't do this to me, old man!"

"Oy!," Wyper snapped, "This is as much of a punishment for me as it is for you."

"Then why are you not protesting along with me?!" Sid demanded.

"Because it makes sense. We are both fine warriors and as the descendant of Cagara, it is natural for my arranged marriage to be with the Chief's granddaughter," Wyper stated and Urepo nodded with both relief and approval. At least Wyper was seeing the reasoning behind it.

However, that argument seemed to only anger his granddaughter even more. She redirected her finger back at Wyper and this time her glare followed too.

"See? This is your problem. Right there!"

Wyper's indignance was replaced with confusion. "What? What are you talking about?"

"The whole descendance thing!" Sid said and then waived her arms around her, "The whole going-along-with-it-just-because-it-is-what-our-ancestors-have-done thing."

Wyper's cigar dropped to the floor and Kamikiri hurriedly pushed himself between the two in order to stomp it out before it burned a hole through the wolf skin rug. He could feel both of their glares over his head so even after the cigar was flattened, he decided to stay in between them, just in case.

"Are you saying…" Wyper said slowly, "That we should ignore our ancestors? Their teachings? Their sacrifices?"

"Of course not," Sid snapped and crossed her arms, "But we shouldn't be clinging onto them as if it is the only way to live."

"It is the only way to live!" Wyper shouted and Sid returned to her finger pointing.

"SEE?! Old man! This will not work. There's no way this would work!" Sid shouted, "I can't marry a man who is too caught up in the past to think about the future."

"And I can't marry a woman who is too preoccupied with the future that she ignores the responsibility of the present!"

Sid shoved Kamikiri out of the way and to everyone's surprise, grabbed Wyper by his red beaded necklace. "Our responsibility is to ensure the lives of our people!," she hissed.

Wyper reciprocated and grabbed her by the front of her olive green tunic. "Our responsibility is to restore the glory and honor of our ancestors!"

"How are we supposed to honor them if we're all dead?" Sid asked, "This war...this four hundred year war has taken so much already from our people. For what? Vearth?"

"For our homeland!" Wyper roared, "For Shandora!"

"Our homeland is down there!" Sid shouted, "If you really want to hang onto the past, then why not go further? Why not go to a time when we lived in a world where Vearth was everywhere? Where we walked amongst trees instead of clouds? Why can't we go there?"

"You would abandon Shandora?!" Wyper thundered and even Kamkiri's eyes widened behind his glasses.

Sid took a deep breath and she relaxed her stance. She released her grip on Wyper and her expression softened. "Shandora, yes...But our people? No," she said and then looked to her grandfather, "If your decision is to continue this war and not find peace with the Skypieans, then I will respect that. I will go into battle to ensure the protection and safety of our people if you ask of it. But...I cannot agree to what you ask of me now."

She swiped Wyper's hand off her shirt as if his grip was that of a child's. She picked up the spear she had leaned against the side of the tent and glanced over her shoulder when she was just under the opening. "I do not agree to this union. Sorry, old man."

She stepped out of the tent and put two fingers in her mouth. She let out a shrill whistle. Suddenly, a cloud no bigger than the palm of Sid's hand came floating through the opening and landed at her feet.

"Boo?" A lamb's face popped out of the cloud followed by two small yellow curled horns. It blinked it's big black eyes before it settled onto Sid's face. "Boo!"

The cloud grew until it was big enough for Sid to sit on. She flopped down on it with her legs dangling over the side while she casually rested one hand on one of the horns. "Let's go, Boo."

"Boo!"

With that the cloud floated up and carried her off and away from the tent.

"Well...that went better than I thought," Kamikiri grinned and his good humor did not falter even when his best friend scowled back at him, "Seriously. I was kinda ready for you two to start a war of your own."

Back in her own tent, Sid flopped on a pile of pillows and buried her head in the nearest one. The cloud she road in on went back to the palm sized shape that it was and then four round paws popped out along with it's face and horns again. It scrambled onto a pillow right next to Sid and went straight to sleep.

"Booo...Booo…" it snored.

"Glad at least one of us can relax," Sid murmured into the pillow. She stilled for just a moment before she lifted up her hand and pointed at her tent opening while keeping the rest of her body still. A few seconds later, her grandmother came bursting in with a bowl filled with greenery. The two feathers nestled at the top of her bun were dangerously close to falling off and the feathers that hung on her ears twirled in the air.

"I came as soon as I-" she started to say breathlessly and then stopped when she saw Sid's finger point, "Since when did you develop Mantra?"

"I heard your feet. They shuffle. Go back," Sid said stubbornly and still with her head in the pillow, "Go tell the old man to change his mind."

Taika lowered the stone mortar she was clutching and smiled at the back of her granddaughter's head. She took a seat on a vacant pillow and set her bowl down on the ground. She ran a wrinkled hand over Sid's back, smoothing out the tunic and then she straightened out the brown skirt with white fringe that was dangerously close to exposing her granddaughter to their ancestors.

"Cassidy," Taika said gently, "Imagine how I felt the day I was told I was to marry someone that I never even spoke a word to!"

"But...but that's different!" Sid's head popped up and she frowned at her grandmother, "Those were different times! And the man you married is definitely not Wyper! Grandfather is calm, level headed, and-"

Taika laughed. "He's those things now but definitely had a temper when he was younger."

"As bad as Wyper's?" Sid asked with a raised eyebrow.

Taika bit her lip. "Well...no but-"

"See!" Sid cried victoriously. She sat up and faced her grandmother, "My case is a lot worse than yours!"

That made Taika laugh again and she folded her hands in her lap. "Are you saying that I ruined my life by marrying your grandfather?"

Sid clasped her hands over her mouth and she shook her head. "Oh no! That's not what I meant, Grandma. I'm just saying that if I'm going to marry, it's got to be what you and the old man has...and I know I can't get that with Wyper."

Taika raised a grey eyebrow and her eyes twinkled at the pair that were almost identical to hers, "Then what kind of man would you like to have?"

Sid crinkled her nose. "No one here. That's for sure."

Anybody else in the tribe would have probably balked at Sid's statement but Taika was not at all shocked. Instead, she cupped her granddaughter's face and smiled. "You would like to go to the Blue Sea."

Sid winced and she covered her grandmother's hands with hers. "I can't help it…"

"I know," Takia said, "After all, you got that from my side of the family. Our hearts beat stronger to the rhythm of the Blue Sea than everyone else."

"A descendant of Hillier, a crewmember of Noland…" Sid said almost monotonously and then flung back on her pillows, "I know. I know. Does everything have to be related to what family we're from? This was 400 years ago! Why can't I just be...me?"

Takia brushed Sid's hair away from her face and brought her hands back in her lap. "Okay...then just Sid. What would you like to do if there was no war, no one here for you to protect, and you were free to explore the Blue Sea?"

Sid stared up at the peak of her tent. At the very top, her grandmother had painted blue waves over the tanned leather for her. Sid folded her hands behind her head and allowed herself to imagine what it would be like to be there instead of here. "Plants…I would study plants and collect the best ones. I'd fill a whole ship with them. The most beautiful, the most delicious, the most healing, the most exciting...And then I'd bring it all back here."

Takia laid down next to her granddaughter and admired the blue waves with her. "Ah...that would be nice...But would we have enough Vearth?"

"I'd figure out a way," Sid said, "Either bring enough back or find a way to create it."

"Create Vearth?!" Takia's eyes danced along with the laugh on her lips, "Now that would be something."

"Why not?" Sid asked, "The Blue Sea people created bazookas and canons...They must know some way of creating Vearth. After all, they have so much of it."

She took a deep breath and she closed her eyes. "Don't you ever wonder what life is like on the Blue Sea? What do they eat? What do they do? How do they cook without dials? How do they do anything without dials?"

"Well, then," Takia said as she sat up and held out a hand to Sid, "Let's hope your grandfather decides to take Gan Fall up on his offer of peace. Then you can go down to the Blue Sea and figure out those things for yourself. Until then..."

Sid grabbed her hand and was pulled up so that she was eye to eye to Takia. "Until then? Oof!"

Takia dropped the bowl of plants into Sid's lap and then handed her a stone pestle. "Grind these up for me. Aisa has cried herself into a fever again. I'm going to make a paste for her to help cool her down."

"Yes, Grandma," Sid looked down into the bowl and she frowned, "I don't think you have enough aloe here."

Takia sighed. "I don't...but that's all Laki was able to retrieve from Upper Yard without getting caught."

Sid said nothing else as she mashed up the plants. Sid took out her frustration on the plants and ground them up into a fine pulp. This wouldn't be a problem if they were down in the Blue Sea. Admittedly, this also wouldn't be a problem if they were back in Shandora. She didn't find fault in Wyper and the tribe's way of thinking per se. It was just...they had been going at it for 400 years. How much longer would it take for them to get to Shandora? Wasn't it time to try something else? Make a change?

 _Something has to change…_ ,Sid thought with every push, _Something_ needs _to change…_

If Sid knew what type of changes were coming her way, she would've never have thought it. Negotiations broke down between her grandfather and Gan Fall. Given that the majority of the tribe were war orphans and closer to Wyper's age than the Chiefs, it was easy for the tribe to side with Wyper when he flatly refused to make peace with the Skypieans. The war became more violent than ever with any survivors returning by the skin of their teeth. Soon Sid found herself going into battle almost every day.

Her grandmother's healing supplies started to dwindle to dangerous amounts. To the point that Takia herself snuck into Upper Yard to grab any type of healing plant she could find.

That was the day the title of "God" changed hands. That was the day Enel arrived.

In one fell swoop, Sid lost her grandmother and the Shandia's found a different war to fight.

Thoughts of the Blue Sea, marriage, or any type of future were struck right out of Sid's mind. Being the most familiar with her grandmother's healing methods, Sid took over. However, in order to avoid going into Upper Yard and incur the so-called Heaven's Judgement, she became a guerilla - pillaging any ship from the Blue Sea that came their way. Instead taking knowledge from the passengers, she took their supplies.

If any part of her wondered about them or where they were from, she squashed it almost immediately. She stopped caring about the future and focused solely on the present. Duties took over dreams. Responsibilities replaced wishes. Her priority was to keep her tribe alive for just one more day. That's all she asked and that's all she thought about.


	2. A Seed for the Future

"T...Take what you want...Take anything...Just...Just leave..."

Sid lowered her spear at the pathetic captain. He was on his hands and knees, gasping for air and covered in sweat. Around him, his men were strewn about their ship in the same condition. Sid grinned behind her horned mask and twirled her spear playfully before putting it on her back.

"I'm glad we're finally on the same page," she said as she flipped her mask up and strolled across the deck. She whistled a cheerful tune as she wandered into their galley. She opened up all the cabinets and stood back to examine the contents thoughtfully and in one go. She then selected a few jars and placed them in the cloth bag that hung over her shoulders. When she got everything she could out of the galley, she walked back out to the deck and looked expectantly at the captain, "Weapons?"

"You...You want to take our weapons?!" the captain gasped. He tried to get up to his feet but the thin air of the White Sea got the best of him.

"Not all...Just the best ones," Sid said as she looked around the ship for any signs of weaponry, "Don't worry. I won't take everything. I'm not heartless...Not today, anyways..."

"D...Down in the lower decks..," the captain conceded.

Sid nodded her head. "Thank you kindly."

She didn't even bother to look for a hatch. She leapt up high into the air and stomped right through the floorboards with her waver strapped feet.

"AH!" the captain cried out overhead but Sid paid him no mind. She kept right on whistling as she looked around what was obviously the captain's quarters. She only saw a few things of interest to take from his desk but otherwise left everything untouched.

"Tch," Sid clucked, "Not even a potted plant or anything…"

She sighed and left the room. She found herself in a storage area. "Now we're talking."

She opened up crate after crate in search for something of use.

"Ooh. Shiny," Sid marvelled as she spun two pistols around her finger and then tucked them under her yellow beaded belt. She opened up another crate of bullets and filled the rest of her bag with those. She stopped whistling only when her eyes rested on a few cannonballs tucked behind another crate. Then she shook her head. There was no way she could carry everything she had and the cannonballs, especially since her day of pillaging had just started. Boo would not be happy about that. After all, anything she couldn't carry would wind up on his cloud.

She jumped back up to the upper deck through the hole she created and she nodded her head again to the captain. "Alright. I'm done here. You guys can carry on and go back to wherever the hell you guys came from. Good luck!"

She leapt over the railing and skated away from the ship. When she was just out of earshot, she heard someone cry out.

"CAPTAIN! She took our Eternal Pose!"

"SHE DID WHAT?!"

"Eternal Pose?" Sid stopped and pulled out an ornate object she had swiped off of the captain's desk. It was translucent and it curved in the middle. It had a wooden top and "Sabaody" etched on the wooden bottom. Inside was a white and red triangle that was suspended by a string and it twitched every now and then. She took it because she thought it looked pretty, "So that's what this is called…"

She shrugged and tucked it back into her bag. She went on her way but she didn't make it very far when she saw a silhouette skating towards her at breakneck speed. When the person got close enough, the sight of his green and red painted mask made her heart fall right down to her stomach.

"No! Stop! I checked! There's no Divine Soldiers on there. They are just Blue Sea people!" Sid shouted as she waved her arms in the air, "Wyper! Stop! They're-"

_Kaboom!_

His bazooka fired right past her and she felt the heat graze across her shoulder and cheek. The ship behind her exploded into flames. He didn't even pause to acknowledge her as he passed. All he did was slam her mask back down her face with the end of his shield and kept going. She spun indignantly on her wavers and that's when she spotted another ship in the distance.

It was a much smaller ship than the one that Wyper had just destroyed. It had a figurehead that sort of resembled Boo's face but with a red crown on its head. There were also wooden wings extended from the sides of the ship and the sails had a skull with a yellow hat painted on it. Sid's eyes widened when she saw a familiar puff of cloud float down past the sails and towards the figure head.

"BOO! NO!" she screamed as she skated towards the ship. "Wyper! Stop! Don't destroy the ship! Boo is there! Boo!"

She was about 20 seconds behind Wyper but that was enough for him to kick down three people on the ship and take aim with his bazooka. Hurriedly, Sid lifted up her mask and let out a shrill whistle with her fingers but her little pet was too enthralled by the wooden lookalike to turn away.

Sid clenched her fists and just when she decided that it was finally time to have it out with Wyper, she received some unofficial divine intervention.

"That is quite enough!" Gan Fall shouted as he sailed down with Pierre and jabbed his lance towards Wyper. The Shandian warrior easily blocked it with his shield but with a burst of force from an Impact Dial, he was sent down into the clouds just as Boo settled in front of the figurehead.

"What the heck? What's going? Who was that?! Who are you?! EEK! And who are  _you_?!" an orange haired woman shrieked when Sid jumped right onto the deck, lifted her mask, and headed right for the figure head.

"I am the Sky Knight!" Gan Fall said as he hopped off Pierre and stood on the upper deck.

"Sky island is scary. Sky island is scary!" a long nosed boy whimpered as he tucked his knees to his chest and rolled around in circles.

"Don't worry," Sid said with a wave of her hand, ignoring Gan Fall's presence completely and stepping over a boy in a red vest, "I'm just here for my sheep. Pretend I'm not here."

"Wh-Whoahhhh! Lady! Beautiful lady!" a man with blonde hair and curled eyebrows gasped, "Her wings! Her face! She...She must be an angel!"

"J-...Just die," a green haired man scowled with just as much labored breath.

Sid stopped and turned with her hand on her spear, ready for battle but then to her shock, she realized he had directed that comment to his own crew member. She went on her way and she laid flat across the top of the figurehead, to ensure she could make eye contact with her pet.

"Boo?" she asked gently.

Her pet blinked and finally his black eyes moved up to meet hers. "Boo?"

"Boo," Sid said, "That's not your mom...You know that..."

"Boo…." Boo's eyes watered and Sid braced herself for what's to come. Her pet turned black and it began to rain.

"Boo, don't cry…" Sid coaxed gently and reached out her hand. "Come on, Boo...You've got me!"

"Is...is he alright?"

Sid jerked her hand back and she gaped at the small animal standing behind her. He had a pink hat on with his antlers poking out from the side. His blue nose twitched and he tilted his head to the side. She studied him for awhile and she opened up her mouth to say something but then she thought the better of it.

"Yeah...it's just hard for him," Sid said as she returned to the task at hand, "He's a sky sheep. Probably the last of his kind. Come on, Boo. You're not alone. I'm here, alright? I'm right here and we have a home to go to. So let's just go home, okay?"

"Boo?"

"He said 'home?'," the small animal translated.

"Oh, you can understand him?" Sid asked.

"Yeah…"

Boo was refusing to move an inch. Sid sighed again and reached into her bag. Desperate times called for desperate measures. "Boo? Want some chocolate?"

The rain stopped almost immediately and his eyes blinked. "Boo?!"

She held it out for him to see but then quickly drew her hand back when he started to move forward. "Only if you promise we can go home as soon as you finish eating. No distractions."

"Boo!"

"Good boy," Sid said as she watched him shrink back down to his normal size. He floated right to the palm of her hand and covered the two sticks of chocolate with his cloud body. She could see nothing and could only hear the sounds of muffled crunching. Sid cradled her arm around him and held him protectively to her chest, "Good boy."

She turned and finally took a good hard look at the former Skypiean God. "I'll leave you to it then," she said with a nod and then was just about to hop over the railing when she spotted something on the other end of the ship.

"Are those...trees?! You have trees on this ship?!" she gasped as she ran across the deck and was just about to reach up to touch it's fruit when her hand was smacked away by the orange haired girl.

"Oy! Don't touch my tangerines!" the girl scolded, "Who the hell are you?"

_Thwack!_

"AH! NAMI!" the small animal shrieked as Sid easily grabbed the girl's wrist with one hand and threw her over her shoulder, slamming her hard down on the floor. All while still holding onto Boo.

"Don't hit me because I fight back," Sid replied with a grin and then looked back at the fruit, "So these are called tan...ger...rines?"

"Why you-," the girl identified as Nami snarled. She got to her feet but was slightly surprised how much of a struggle it was for her, "What is going on?"

"The air is thinner up here in the White Sea than it is down in the Blue Sea," Gan Fall called out from the deck.

"Ah, that does make sense," a woman with black hair said thoughtfully as she rested her chin against her hand, "Must be why everyone is having a hard time moving."

"Yeah...now that you mentioned it," the boy in the red vest said.

"Can I have a tangerine?" Sid asked with her hand already on a fruit.

"OY! Don't touch my-" Nami started again but then found a spear to her throat.

Sid grinned. "So can I?"

Nami scowled. "Fine. Take it but only one!"

"Many thanks!" Sid sang as she moved her spear back into it's holding strap between her wings and then plucked the fruit out of the tree. She whistled and trotted down to the deck, bouncing the fruit in her hand as she did so. She sniffed the top and found that she did not enjoy the smell even though it wasn't unpleasant. It just wasn't to her liking.

"How do you eat this?" she asked to no one in particular.

"You take a big bite out it. Skin and all!" Nami seethed.

Sid bounced the fruit in her hand again and she looked towards the small animal. "How do you  _really_  eat this?"

"You...you peel off the outer layer and eat the fruit inside," he said.

"CHOPPER!"

"Eh? Don't be mad at me, Nami!" the smaller animal said as he attempted to hide behind Sid's leg but only by sticking the top part of his head behind her. The rest of his body was exposed, "She doesn't seem like a bad guy."

"Thank you!" Sid said with a grin, "Boo? Wanna try some?"

"Boo!" he floated off her palm and she used her newly freed hand to tear off the outer layers, which she was surprised to find was tough and leathery. The fruit on the inside, though, as plump and juicy. It naturally grew in segments and she tore one off for herself and then another one for Boo.

"Sweet...and…" she scrunched up her face, "Sour…I don't know if I like that. So...what's it's medicinal use?"

"Eh?"

Sid raised an eyebrow. "Why would you grow a weird tasting fruit if not for it's medicinal use?"

"Are you calling Bell-mere's tangerines weird?!" Nami gasped in horror. She looked like she was about to have some sort of conniption.

"It's...oil can be used for anti-fungal and antiseptic properties. It can also restore damaged tissues in the body. It helps reduces the appearance of scars. The fruit is a great source of vitamin C, fiber, folate, and potassium. It can help fight off colds," Chopper stated and shrank a bit further when he caught Nami's glare.

"Good to know," Sid said as she scooped up the fallen peel and stuffed it into her back, "Can I have more then?"

"WHAT?!"

Sid grinned up at the orange haired girl and then leapt over the railing. "Thought I'd try asking one more time. Well, I'm off. I'll leave this to you, Ga-...er...Sky Knight."

She skated away with a whistle on her lips and her pet floating above her head.

"YOU OWE ME 100,000,000 BELLIS!" Nami screamed behind her.

* * *

When they were far enough away, Sid leapt into the air and Boo puffed outwards. He scooped her up and carried her up through a small opening in the upper clouds and they moved up to the White-White Sea while she finished the last of the tangerine. She didn't enjoy eating it but if it was good for the body, she might as well try it out. Soon they were floating over the village of Shandia. Even though Boo was headed straight for her tent, Sid hopped off a couple of tents ahead. She took off her wavers and then stuffed them into her bag.

She sucked in a breath and then stormed right into Wyper's tent. The sharp end of her spear was directed right at his face. "Wyper! You didn't need to destroy the ship. They were from the Blue Sea! There weren't any Divine Soldiers on there. No one on that ship was our enemy."

"They are  _all_  our enemy!" Wyper snarled as he swatted her spear away like it was a fly and carried on wiping his body down with a towel he had wetted from a basin. The fact that she barged in without any recognition of his nudity was somewhat admirable yet mostly ridiculous but then again, she was both those things to him on a constant basis.

"Since when?!" Sid demanded, "What if they were a ship coming from the same land as Montblanc Noland? What then? You would've blown them up to join their ancestors before they had a chance to put them at peace!"

"You think any of the Blue Sea people care about Montblanc Noland? He was killed by his own people! They think of him as a liar!" Wyper retorted.

Sid sat down on one of his pillows and folded her arms across her chest. "I get that we're at war. Truly, Wyper, I do...but I cannot keep fighting in a war where the enemies are adding up more than our allies."

"You think we should make peace with the Skypieans and drive off Enel and his priests together?!" Wyper asked, "You think the Skypieans would hand us back Shandora if that happens and relinquish Upper Yard? The war will still continue."

"But at least there would be one less enemy," Sid shouted, "We cannot win a war against Enel AND Skypiea at the same time. And now this?! Suddenly you're adding Blue Sea people to the equation too?! How many more of our people have to die for you to realize that some fights are just not worth it?"

_Smack!_

His slap across his face was strong but not unexpected. Sid brushed her thumb against the corner of her lip, touching the broken skin, and then bashed him across the jaw.

_Thwack!_

"You little-" Wyper raised his fist as Sid matched his stance.

"Ah! Sid! Wyper! Stop it!" Laki rushed through the tent and made her way towards Wyper to block him off but then she let in a startled gasp and put her hands over her eyes, "Wyper! Put some clothes on!"

If Wyper scowled any harder, he would crack his teeth and Sid was revelling in his reaction. She crossed her arms and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm a healer. He's got nothing I've never seen before. Very... _very_ average."

"GET OUT OF MY TENT!" Wyper roared.

"We finally agree on something," Sid said with a nod and then made her way out. She paused when she reached the opening, though, and threw the two pistols she had on the ground. "Oh yeah...I got these today…"

She rummaged through her bag and pulled out the bullets she took as well. She dumped it all on the floor in one big heap. "You're welcome."

A small crowd of Shandians had gathered around to hear what today's fight was about. They pretended to busy themselves when Sid brushed past the tent flaps but she saw right through it. After all, how could someone polish a gun with just his bare hands?

Sid rolled her eyes and went back to her tent. Hers was the easiest to recognize as it was the only tent in the village that was almost completely encircled with potted plants of various types and sizes. When she entered, Boo was already fast asleep on a pillow. Her tent had become much more crowded now with more jars and crates than pillows. She also had a few smaller plants nestled near the opening of her tent. Her home had become less of a place of comfort and more a place of work.

Sid sat down next to Boo and pulled her bag into her lap. She started to take things out one by one. Majority of today's loot were all medicinal but there were some trinkets and weapons that she managed to get her hands on.

A slight shadow darkened one side of her tent and Sid couldn't help but laugh at the small feet rubbing nervously together right under the opening of the tent flaps. "Come in, Aisa."

"Eeek!" Suddenly, the feet leapt back and then after a second, the young Shandian child came sheepishly into the tent, "How...how'd you know it was me?"

"Your feet," Sid grinned and when Aisa was within arm's reach, Sid made a grab for her. She put the child in a headlock and gave the top of her head a gentle grind of her knuckles, "If you consider yourself a Shandian warrior, then you need to be more stealthy."

"Ah! Let me go. Let me go!" Aisa thrashed against the healer's hold but was only released when the healer chose to. The child pouted at Sid while readjusting her head cover. However, her mood was lifted when Sid drew out the Eternal Pose and waved it in front of her face.

"Another one?"

Sid grinned. "Why don't you add it to the collection?"

Aisa took it into her hands and ran to the far side of the tent. She stuck the new Eternal Pose on a shelf where three more Eternal Poses stood. They were all twitching in different directions, which Sid found oddly mesmerizing to watch. It was the only sort of decoration visible in the tent. Even the blue waves that her grandmother had painted was partially blocked by stacks of crates and the tops of Sid's baby trees.

"Apparently, it's not a toy like we thought it was. It's something important...The Blue Sea people were in a panic when they found out I took it," Sid said and then she clapped her hands, "Okay! I showed you what I got...Now it's your turn."

Aisa stiffened and looked over at Sid. "What?"

"Don't 'what?' me," Sid said with a raised eyebrow, "Who are you trying to fool here? Now show me the Vearth."

Aisa gulped and hesitantly left the tent. When she returned, she was lugging a bag almost as big as herself and it was filled to the top with the treasured Vearth.

"You...you're not going to tell Wyper, are you?" Aisa asked quietly.

"Have I ever?" Sid snorted. She picked up the bag and dumped some of the Vearth into a deeper set bowl, one of the few empty ones she had left. Then she pulled out of her pocket a sticky seed she had saved and buried it in the Vearth.

"Ah! You got a seed?!" Aisa gasped as she ran over to take a good look, "What kind is it?"

Sid smiled and retrieved the tangerine peel from her bag. "It's called a tangerine tree. It'll grow and produce this…"

Aisa took it from her hands and then brought it closer to her eyes. "It...it smells nice."

"You think so?" Sid asked and wrinkled her nose, "I don't particularly like it for some reason. However, it's supposedly good for the skin and the fruit will help fight colds."

Sid lifted the bowl and took it out of her tent. She placed it amongst her other potted plants and then watered it with a nearby watering can. When she went back inside, Aisa had crumpled to her knees. The tangerine peel rested on the floor while Aisa's hands were around her head. Her whole body was trembling.

Sid sighed. "Wyper?"

Aisa nodded. "He's...he's really mad at you."

"What else is new?" Sid scoffed.

"How...how are you not scared of him?" Aisa whispered, "He's...he's a demon."

"Because he knows better than to kill me," Sid shrugged, "What is this tribe going to do without a healer?"

Sid went over and lifted Aisa up by the waist. The girl still was stuck in a curled up position.

"You wanna hide in Boo for a bit?"

"Y-Y-Yes, please," Aisa stammered.

Sid nudged her toe against her pet, who woke up with a start. He blinked groggily at her and then he spotted the terrified child.

"Boo?" he asked and then he began to expand in size until he was the size of a mattress. His cloud pushed up against Sid's crates and plants but it was soft enough not to knock anything over. Sid set Aisa down right in the middle and the child sank into the cloud, almost disappearing from sight completely with only the top of her head and parts of her back visible. Sid didn't know much about Mantra but somehow, hiding in Boo's Wool Cloud helped Aisa block out the voices. They had discovered this by accident when Aisa was a baby. Sid had gotten tired of holding the screaming infant and had relinquished her to Boo.

With Aisa out of the way, Sid went back to work. She grabbed a handful of leaves from various plants along with the tangerine peel and then threw it into her mortar and pestle. She started to grind them all together to form a sticky paste.

"You look just like your grandmother when you do that."

Sid grinned up at Chief Urepo, who took over her entire opening, and she motioned for him to take a seat on a pillow next to her. "How are you feeling today, old man?"

"Exactly that," Urepo chuckled, "Like an old man."

Sid sat up at attention and she narrowed her eyes. "Are your joints bothering you again? Any aches in your hip? Back?"

"No...No...None of that…" Urepo said, "I just feel old."

Sid chuckled. "A bottle of Braham's Shandia Sake might make help with that. I heard a glass of that would make even the dead dance around."

"Cassidy?" Urepo asked as he eyed the bruise already forming on her cheek, "Did you get in a fist fight with Wyper again?"

"Not really. Laki stopped it before we could really get into it."

"Cassidy…" Urepo sighed. The fact that there was actual disappointment in her statement made the chief's stomach knot together. This would be something his wife would usually handle. She would know what to say and would do a better job...but she was no longer here and he had to do the best he could. He took off his wolf's head and placed it on the ground. He didn't want to address her as the chief. At this moment, he only wanted to be seen as her kin. "I understand how you feel but-"

"You're taking his side." Sid threw her hands in the air, balancing the mortar expertly in her lap, "Of course, you are."

"The only side right now is us, Shandians, against those who stop us from returning to our rightful place...To Shandora," Urepo said, "You and Wyper must stand united together."

"If you're talking about marriage again-"

Urepo laughed. "It has been 6 years. Don't worry. I no longer will try to persuade you on this." He brought one of her hands into his, admiring how well calloused her hands were, "You are a strong Shandia warrior. You have a fire burning in you just as fiercely as it does in Wyper...Maybe just as fiercely as it did in the legendary Calgara. Shandia needs you in this battle. I need you...Wyper needs you."

"So you're saying I should just shut up and let him lead our people into battle. Not say anything if I have any concerns?"

"I'm not asking you to stay silent. Just don't say it in front of everyone else," Urepo advised and then he chuckled when his granddaughter gave him a perplexed look, "You and Wyper...your fights get too heated...and people hear it. It creates dissonance. Once they step on the battlefield, they need to see one person, one leader, one voice. One that they can trust and will listen to no matter what difficult demands he asks of them...And it has to be-"

"Wyper," Sid finished and hung her head, "I get your point, old man. I really do but it's just so hard. He just does whatever he wants and knocks everyone out of the way to do so. I have to beat it into him just so he will listen to me  _sometimes_."

"Cassidy," Urepo said with a smile, "Sometimes is better than never. No one else in this tribe questions, much less challenges, Wyper the way you do and he knows that. All I'm saying is…some fights are just not worth it."

"Hey!" Sid sat up a bit straighter and she frowned, "That's exactly what I just told Wyper."

"Then I guess you are becoming as old and wise as I am," Urepo chuckled as he put his helmet back on his head and walked out of her tent, "Either that or you've forgotten that I live right next door to Wyper and could hear you two clear as day."


	3. A Budding Answer

"And...where do you think you're going?"

Sid chuckled from behind her ginger plants. She was squatting next to the pot with a basket of freshly cut herbs at her feet. Boo slept right at the center of the basket and the herbs encircled him like a garland.

Sid's hand clutched the stem of the ginger plant but she had paused to uproot it when she saw Aisa run right past her with her now empty bag swinging at her side. The child froze mid-step with a foot still dangling in the air. Sweat beaded from her forehead while she slowly turned to face her interrogator.

"Nowhere...?" Aisa squeaked.

Sid let go of her plant and picked up her basket. The medicine could wait another time for her to prepare. "Had a nice nap?"

Aisa's foot lowered to meet its twin. "Yep. Thank you for letting me use Boo."

Sid nodded and went back into her tent. Just as Aisa was about to sprint off again, the healer called out over her shoulder. "Have fun in Upper Yard!"

It didn't take long for the child to turn around and scurry right back to Sid. Aisa jumped up and tried to cover Sid's mouth with her hands. "Shhhh! Don't say it so loudly! Wyper might hear and get mad!"

Sid was too tall for the child's reach so she knelt down, just to indulge Aisa. She set her Boo and her basket down in the shade of her tent. "Okay...then what's it going to take to buy my silence?" she mumbled against Aisa's still soft and battle-free hands.

"I'll...I'll bring you more Vearth for your plants," Aisa hissed.

"Hahaha-pffffft," Sid's laugh was cut short when Aisa pinched her lips together with her fingers. It only seemed to amuse the healer more and her lips sputtered from the force of her laugh. Her outburst woke up her pet and he blinked up at her from the basket.

"Boo?"

"EWW!" Aisa shrieked. Her hands drew back and she wiped off Sid's saliva on her dress.

Boo floated up next to Sid's head and his paws jutted out from underneath. He flopped himself over her shoulder and rubbed his body against the side of Sid's neck.

"How about this?" Sid said with a grin as she rubbed Boo behind the horns, "Let me come with you."

Aisa's eye widened. "What?"

Sid pinched Aisa's cheeks and pulled it away from each other. "What? I'm not good enough to tag along? Don't get cocky just because you can use Mantra."

"Let go!" Aisa reached up to grab Sid's hands but she was no match when it came to strength.

Sid chuckled and released the reddening cheeks. Then she sat in a cross legged position in front of the child and her face turned solemn. "I know you've snuck in and out of Upper Yard many times but it still doesn't make it any less dangerous."

"I know that," Aisa said. Her hands reached up to clutch the straps of her bag and she looked down at her feet, "But..."

"I get it," Sid sighed and planted a firm hand on top of Aisa's head, "As a proud Shandia warrior, it's frustrating for you to stand by and watch the rest of us do our part in helping the tribe, right? You want to help out too, don't you?"

Aisa nodded. "I just...I just want to bring some of our homeland back to us…"

"That is honorable," Sid said and she lifted her hand, "And as a proud Shandia warrior, myself, I can't stand by and let a fellow warrior run into enemy territory alone."

"You're really not going to stop me?" Aisa asked with a wondrous whisper, "You really want to come with me?"

Sid grinned and gave a hard jab to Aisa's forehead. " _You_ lead the way. I'll follow and you just signal to me if someone is approaching...and if they are...well, you'll leave the rest to me."

"Ow!" Aisa's hands went to her head but then a smile grew on her face, "Okay but...you'll have to be really quiet."

"Not even a peep," Sid promised and then returned to petting her sky sheep, "Or even a 'boo'."

It was easy for Sid to come in and out of village without getting questions from anyone on guard. It was a different matter, though, if Sid was to be seen leaving with Aisa. After all, what business would a child have outside of their village? Sid only hoped that the person on guard wouldn't be Kamakiri. Her cousin was as intuitive as Wyper was hot tempered.

The ancestors must have been in a generous mood because the person standing guard at the village's entrance was a warrior named Barite. He had just turned 18 and recently put on duty. Best of all, he was a patient of Sid's.

"Ah, Sid!" He stood up from the base of the totem pole he was resting on and rolled his left shoulder, "Look! It's all better now.. No pain, no aches, nothing."

He flexed his left arm, pumping up his bicep, and beamed at her while she placed a hand on it to give it a squeeze. "Yes, very good," Sid said with an approving nod, "How's your aunt doing, by the way? Does she still have that cough?"

"Yeah," Barite replied. He lowered his arm and picked up the spear that was leaning against the totem pole, "I paid attention to it like you told me to. It's a dry cough and it only happens at night."

"Got it. I know just the thing for it. Do you mind if I drop by later tonight?," Sid asked.

"Of course. You are always welcome in our tent," Barite said with a grin and then he looked curiously at the child, "Aisa? Are you going with Sid somewhere?"

Sid clamped her hand down on Aisa's shoulder before the child could react. "She's going to help me gather a few things from Angel Beach," Sid said with a wink, "I figured why not use her Mantra to be a lookout while I steal a couple of plants from the Skypieans."

"Oooh," Barite beamed down at Aisa. "Doing your part, I see."

"We really need to get going," Sid said and pushed Aisa in front of her. She could already feel the child sweating beneath her hand. It was doubtful she would be able to speak in a convincing tone, "Oh! Don't tell anyone that we went, okay? I'm actually supposed to be on scavenging duty but there just hasn't been enough Blue Sea ships sailing our way recently."

"Oh, of course," Barite said, "Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks," Sid said with a wink.

Sid waved good-bye as she and Aisa ran off. They reached the opening to Skypiea, which was a softened Island Cloud that nestled along more solid ones to form the foundation of an outer island. The Shandian village was nestled between two layers of clouds with Skypiea being on the upper level. They were hidden from plainview.

Sid and Aisa jumped on the expanded Boo and he lifted them up towards the opening. They climbed through it with some struggle from the child and the sky sheep. Once Sid was through, she sat at the edge and pulled both of them up.

They ran across the outer island towards Upper Yard. When they got to the Sea Clouds, Sid and Aisa rode on Boo for the rest of the way. He had increased enough in size for Sid and Aisa to be completely hidden in his cloud.

Sid's breath caught in her chest when Upper Yard came into sight. No matter how many times Sid saw their homeland, the finite patch of Vearth that carried so much hope and devastation, the only thing she could look at were the trees. They reached towards the heavens with strength and stability while holding their ground for centuries despite the endless battles they were forced to witness. Even though they were going for the Vearth, the true treasure for Sid were the trees.

When they got to Upper Yard, Sid and Aisa climbed out of Boo. Sid allowed herself to rub her barefeet against the moss and bark on the exposed root they stood on while Boo decreased in size and had a quick dunk in the Sea Cloud. She savored the feeling of the hard, jaggedness of the bark and the dry, itchy feeling of the moss. It was so different than the texture of clouds that Sid was more accustomed to. Even so, the feeling against her skin felt more familiar to her than when she stood on clouds.

When a slightly dripping Boo dropped onto her shoulder, Sid looked at Aisa and motioned for her to go ahead. She meant what she said. She would let the child take the lead.

Aisa took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She listened intently to the unheard voices around them for a moment. Then she opened her eyes and ran deep into the island.

Sid followed the child through roots as thick as a totem pole as well as branches higher than their village. Aisa may not have much experience in battle but she certainly knew her way up and around a tree. The only time the child had a slight misstep was when her foot slipped on a narrower branch but she was easily caught from behind by Sid, who clamped a hand over Aisa's mouth to stop her from letting out any type of scream.

They stopped only when they reached a particular tree next to a river of Sea Clouds. The tree roots had grown high and strong enough that the tree base had lifted off the ground just enough for a child to run through and a grown adult to crawl in. Once in, the ground dropped so it was high enough for Sid to stand up straight without any problem. It was a cavern made with a roof shaped of tree roots.

Sid crouched near the opening with her spear in hand while Aisa shoveled moist Vearth into her empty bag with her hands. Sid smoothed her free hand over the root hovering just over her head. She closed her eyes so that she could concentrate on every bump and groove against her fingertips.

Suddenly, she felt a tug on the back of her tunic and she quickly looked over her shoulder. Aisa's eyes were wide and fearful.

"Priests?" Sid mouthed to Aisa and the child shook her head. She motioned for Sid to come deeper into the cavern and Sid followed.

When they were near the back of it, Sid knelt in front of Aisa with one arm protectively covering the child and her spear at the ready.

"Do you think we should check out the other shore?" A soft, female voice asked from the distance. She somehow sounded familiar to Sid but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"No way! What if we get attacked by sharks again?" Another female shrieked.

Sid stiffened with realization. _It's that Blue Sea girl...The one with the tangerines. Nami? What are they doing in Upper Yard?!_

"Geez, you're hopeless," a male voice grunted.

"Hey! You had a hard time with them yourself!" the tangerine girl yelled, "It makes me a little worried that we left Chopper all alone on that altar…"

"He'll be fine," the male voice said.

Sid's back straightened and her ears perked up. _Chopper! The small animal. He's alone on the Sacrificial Altar! The tangerines are clear for the taking!_

They waited for a while and then three shadows passed by the tree. The voices started to get fainter and fainter. They were thick in a debate about whether or not to get to the other side of the island. Sid turned to Aisa and she wrote something along the softened Vearth. _Go home. Wait for me there._

Aisa's eyes widened.

_Don't worry. I've got Boo. I'll be back before you know it._

Aisa shook her head fervently and Sid splayed her palm along the back of Aisa's head. She bobbed it up and down, forcing Aisa to nod in agreement. Sid then dug into her bag and pulled out her waver skates. She handed it to Aisa and then pointed at the opening. _Go._

Sid slung Aisa's bag over the child's shoulder and pushed Aisa forward. Aisa took one last look at her, gulped, and then ran out. Sid looked up at her sky sheep, who was in the middle of licking the mossy root. Sid used the back end of her spear to poke at Boo to get his attention. When he did, she grinned and tapped her shoulder. As soon as he landed on it, she took off.

Without the child, Sid let loose. Aisa may be fast on the trees but she did not hold a candle to Sid. She crawled up the tree trunk, swung through the vines, and slid along the mossy branches without much noise. She had only snuck in a handful of times when she was younger with her grandmother but that was all the time she needed to learn how to navigate through the forest. It was a natural talent that her grandmother could only explain as a gift from the ancestors.

By the time she got closer to the Sacrificial Altar, she had a big smile on her face and twigs and leaves sticking out of her hair. She stopped when she was only three trees away and motioned for Boo to expand.

She crawled into him and pointed forward. He slowly floated towards the edge the trees where a lake of Sea Clouds sat with the Sacrificial Altar right in the middle. It was a stone monument with carvings etched on it's side and a stone stairwell at the front. At the top sat the ship with the sheep-like figurehead but it's mast was missing and there was smoke coming from it's railing.

Sid grabbed onto Boo's horns and pulled him back from moving any further when she was close enough to see Gan Fall and one of the priests, Shura, battling it out above the ship. _What is Gan Fall doing here?! Has he finally decided to take a stand against Enel?_

Sid chewed on her lip. Her initial game plan was to wait for the inevitable priest to appear and take out Chopper. Once the priest had done his part, he would probably go off to take care of the rest of the crew. That would be Sid's cue to grab the tangerines and flee. However, seeing Chopper now, Sid wasn't so sure of her plan any more.

The Shandian warrior in Sid wanted to rush forward. After all, she would be taking down two formidable enemies, the former Skypiean God and the current God's priest. Another part of the same warrior in her told Sid to stay back, to assess the situation first. She supposed it wouldn't be too late once one was taken out for her to take out the other. It would be to her advantage since whoever was the victor would be in worse physical condition than if she went out now. The healer in her wanted to go to Chopper. There were blotches of blood on his fur and parts of it were singed. It was clear now that she saw him that she didn't have the heart to let this Blue Sea creature die.

What really held Sid back, though, was her struggle to decide whether or not she would attack Gan Fall.

_Is the enemy of my enemy my friend?_

The question weighed in the back of her mind and she was still contemplating the answer when suddenly, Gan Fall and Pierre froze in mid-air. They were unable to move and suspended above the lake.

"Why...why can't I move?" Gan Fall gasped.

Shura came sailing down on the back of his flame bird, Fuza, with his Heat Javelin at the ready. "You can figure that out yourself...in the after-life!"

Sid sucked in a breath when his javelin pierced right through Gan Fall's chest, causing a flame to burst at the point of contact.

"String Ordeal," Shura smirked as Gan Fall fell into the Sea Clouds below.

"SKY KNIGHT!" Chopper shrieked and jumped right into the lake after the former God.

 _Idiot! There are skysharks in there!,_ Sid thought with alarm.

"Pierre! Pierre! Pierre!" Gan Fall's bird screeched, still stuck in mid-flight.

Shura laughed and hovered in front of him. "That's right. You're a Zoan too."

 _Too?_ , Sid thought and then her eye's widened, _Chopper is a Zoan! That's why he can talk!_

"Why don't you follow your master?" Shura asked as he sent Pierre down into the lake with a harsh swing from his javelin.

Sid's mind was pulling her in so many directions that her body just couldn't move, in fear that it would be split apart. Should she go for the tangerines like she originally intended? Should she take down Shura now that it was just him to worry about? Should she save Chopper? Should she save any of them?

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was only one other way to get the answer she needed.

* * *

_-Flashback: 6 years ago, Right after Gan Fall's visit to the Shandia Tribe-_

"How could that have gotten any worse?" Sid groaned as she slathered a cooling paste on a bandage and then smacked it right over Kamakiri's left eye.

"Ow!" Kamakiri said and gave Sid a punch in her bandaged shoulder, "You're supposed to heal my black eye. Not make it worse."

"Hey!" Sid winced and watched blood bloom over her white bandage, "Be nice! How'd you think I got this wound? I was busy trying to prevent you from getting stabbed by those Divine Soldiers!"

"Both of you be nice," Taika called out while she wrapped a bandage around Braham's shin.

"Sorry, Grandmother," Sid said while Kamikiri flashed her an apologetic smile.

"What did you think was going to happen?" Kamikiri sighed, returning his attention to Sid, "You knew Wyper would never agree to a peaceful coexistence with the Skypieans. We've been fighting for too long. It's all or nothing."

"You really want to risk that?" Sid asked and looked deeply into Kamikiri's good eye, "Take the chance that we'll end up with _nothing_?!"

"If we had accepted a peaceful coexistence, then the blood that our ancestors have spilt would have been for nothing," Kamakiri stated and Braham nodded in agreement.

"But at least we would have even a moment back in Shandora! Something is better than nothing!" Sid shouted.

"A peaceful coexistence is not an acceptable answer!" Kamakiri said sternly. He was beginning to lose his patience and it showed in his tone but Sid was not one to back down.

"But it is the _right_ answer!"

"No, it is not!" Kamakiri insisted.

"I remember when I was younger...Before Gan Fall became the Skypiean God," Taika interrupted before Sid could say anything more. The younger Shandians turned and looked at the old woman, who was staring thoughtfully up in the air, "The battles were a lot fiercer and occurred just as frequently in our village as Upper Yard. Every time the Skypiean's attacked, we had to move our village so they wouldn't find us again. I remember crying to my mother every time we had to move and you know what she said to me?"

Her listeners shook their heads.

"She would remind me of the South Birds. The birds that were knocked up into the clouds along with us. They were moved against their will as well and their bodies changed because of it...But they never stopped being who they were. They still had the same call and they still looked towards the south," Taika said and then she sighed. She folded her hands in her lap and looked directly at Sid, "Change is happening around us. For better or worse but all we can do is go with what is in our hearts...The South Bird looks to the south not because that is what they were taught to do but because that is what is in their hearts."

"So you're taking Kamakiri's side or…?" Sid said slowly and unsure of the moral of her grandmother's story.

Taika smiled. "The answer will always come from your heart...It will tell you what is right."

* * *

"I wonder if those three escapees have already been hunted?" Shura wondered out loud when Sid opened back up her eyes. She watched as the priest pulled on the reins and Fuza flew up and over the treetops.

As soon as he was out of sight, Sid and Boo sprang forward. She was running purely on instinct now. She didn't think about it. She just acted on how she felt, on what her heart was telling her to do. When Boo came right above the lake, Sid leapt off and dove straight into the water.

Immediately, she could see Chopper, Gan Fall, and Pierre sinking towards the bottom and the skysharks were closing in on them and herself. Her hand went to her skirt and she hitched it up to retrieve one of several dials strapped to her legs. She closed her eyes, clicked the top and threw it down. A bright flash of light exerted from the dial. With the water around them, it was magnified and stretched to the very depths of the river.

Sid opened her eyes and swam quickly past the temporarily blinded skysharks. She reached out and grabbed the first person she could, which happened to be Chopper's leg. She only had time to save one and she had made her choice.

She swam upwards towards the surface and as she did so, she felt a foreboding shadow dive right past her at a brilliant speed. She broke through to the surface and threw Chopper onto altar's stairs. She pulled herself out just as a large South Bird came racing out of the water with Gan Fall and Pierre in it's talons.

Sid made her way up to the middle of the stairs and then sat back down. A whole flock of South Birds circled the skies above them. She sighed and leaned back against the stairs, feeling the stone corners push up against her wings and her back. _Thanks, Grandmother._

* * *

Back in the Shandian village, Aisa watched tearfully as her people geared up for battle. She had ran straight back and just as she entered the village, she had heard the voices of Gan Fall and a priest disappear. It was too big of an occurrence for her ignore. She had ran right to Wyper and told him the news along with the fact that Sid was still in Upper Yard. _Sid...Boo...Please be okay…_

"I don't know if Sid had taken out both Gan Fall and the priest but one thing is for sure," Wyper announced from the foot of the Great Warrior Cagara's statue, "Upper Yard is rattled now. This is an opportunity sent from the heavens and we must seize it!"

"Ah!" The Shandians cried back.

Wyper smirked with his cigar burning between his teeth. He would overlook Sid's callousness of going into Upper Yard by herself if she had indeed taken down a priest single-handedly or even Gan Fall. She hadn't pulled a stunt like that since her grandmother died. He figured either the fires of Shandora had finally lit within her or some sort of miracle plant had sprouted that she had to get her hands on.


	4. A Dual Nature

Chopper's eyes fluttered opened. As his mind and sight refocused itself, he slowly became aware he was staring up at a big blue sky with a ring of trees surrounding the edges of his vision. Then he felt the aches and pains all over his body. "Oh...I'm alive...?"

"Welcome back."

He let out a gasp and leapt back at the sight of the guerilla woman sitting across the chest of the injured Sky Knight. Her skirt was hiked up and Chopper could see between the fringes the gleam of a blade strapped to her thigh. She had a dagger in hand and the sharp blade was pointed towards the fallen knight.

"Ah! No! Don't hurt him!" Chopper shrieked as he raced towards her only to have his way blocked by the sky sheep.

"Boo!"

Chopper blinked. "What do you mean she's healing him?"

The woman motioned for Chopper to come closer. When he did, he saw that she was mashing and smearing some leafy greens against the Sky Knight's hard chest plate. She then swiped up the paste with her free hand and smeared it against the wound in his chest. "I'm stopping the bleeding and helping the burn. Whether he pulls out of this is on him."

"Are...are you a doctor too?" Chopper asked as he leaned over the Sky Knight to get a better look at his wound.

"Too?," the woman asked. She reached into her bag, pulled out a handful of leafy greens and used the dagger to separate the leaves from the stem, "So you're a doctor? And you ate a Devil Fruit?"

Chopper nodded. "My name is Tony Tony Chopper. I ate the Human Human Fruit. I'm a reindeer human."

"I see."

"Y-you're not surprised by what I am?"

"Oh, I am but I can't dwell on it right now. There's no point in reacting to something when you have more important things to tend to. Like  _this_ ," she said with a nod towards the Sky Knight as she continued to apply her paste.

Chopper's nose twitched.  _So...so that's why she didn't react to me when she first met me on the Merry…._

"Did you save us?"

"You? Yes," she said, "Him and Pierre? No."

"Then...then who did?" Chopper asked.

She pointed up at the sky, still with her eyes on her patient. "Them."

"Yiouuuuuuuuu!" As if on cue, a South Bird flew down towards them and Chopper covered his hands with his hooves, fully expecting to be gobbled up. "Yiouuuuuu!"

Chopper peaked out from under the rim of his hat, "What? What? What? He's God?!"

The whole flock of South Birds joined the first one and they all flapped their wings incessantly. "Yiouuuuu! Yiouuuu!"

"Why...Why are these South Birds this huge?!" Chopper asked.

"So to them, you are still God," the woman mumbled as she got off the knight and pulled out a roll of bandages from her bag. She took the last glob of paste and smeared across a long strip. She went over to Chopper, "Alright. He's done. Now it's your turn. Stick your arms out."

"Wait...What?! What does this mean?" Chopper gasped. Since he was too surprised to do as she said, she moved Chopper's arms up and away from his body for him and began to bandage up his burnt torso.

"Who...Who are you then? Are you a priest?" Chopper asked with widened eyes.

The woman scoffed. "No. Far from it."

"Then...who are you?" Chopper asked, "Are...are you his friend?"

That made the woman pause and she frowned as she thought about her answer. "I am not his enemy and I'm not yours either," she said slowly and then she looked Chopper dead in the eyes, "But I can't say the same for the rest of my people so you better be careful."

"Your people? The guerillas?" Chopper asked.

She chuckled. "We are the Shandians, a tribe of proud warriors. Here to reclaim our homeland but you...You can call me Sid."

_Kaboom!_

The woman stiffened and then slowly looked up towards the sky. A faint trace of smoke started to rise above the treetops towards the western trees.

"What was that?" Chopper asked.

Sid shoved her bandages into Chopper's hooves and patted him on the head. " _That's_  my cue to leave. Since you're a doctor, you'll know what to do with this. Just don't get yourself wet for a full day. Boo!"

"Boo!"

The sky sheep expanded and flew off the edge of the altar. Sid grabbed her bag and made a running leap to him. She landed on her knees and they sped off into the distance, leaving Chopper with more questions than answers and an armload of bandages.

"Thank you for the tangerines!," Sid yelled out.

"EH?!" Chopper raced back onto the Merry and he shrieked. She had taken all the tangerines from one of the trees, "Oh no! Nami's going to kill me!"

* * *

The sky was starting to have a natural tint of orange to it but it also looked darker from the intense smoke that was billowing out of multiple explosions happening around the island. The Shandians had started an attack on Upper Yard without her. Without their healer.

 _What kind of death wish does Wyper have?!,_ Sid seethed to herself as she steered Boo towards the more concentrated area of smoke. Where there was smoke, there was fire and where there was fire, there was most definitely either a priest, Wyper, or both,  _He better have at least have my two assistants waiting on standby in the village._

When they got close enough to the trees, Sid leapt off of Boo and started to swing through the vines. It wasn't long before she spotted one of her people. "Braham!"

"Ah! Sid! Thank goodness you're okay!" Braham shouted as he fired multiple rounds of his Flash Gun at Gedatsu, one of Enel's four priests, "Go up ahead! They need support there with the other two."

"Ah!" Sid said as she slid across a tree branch and somersaulted off of it. She caught a vine as she fell and swung past the cluster of Shandians.

"So you're the pesky fly that buzzed around only after I left," Shura laughed as he came swooping down with Fuza, "I figured after you were done snooping around the corpses, you'd rejoin your swarm."

The fire bird opened up his jaws and let out a stream of fire. Sid let go and dropped to the ground just as the vine she was holding caught on fire. She threw her dagger up towards Fuza, who easily avoided it with the help of it's rider's Mantra. She rolled across the ground and to her feet. As she straightened up, she clicked the top of a dial and threw it up at the bird, who blew another stream of fire at it.

_Buuush!_

Shura jumped off the back of his bird just seconds before the Gas Dial ejected a stream of gas. The trail of fire became a ball of one and the ignition forcefully pushed him up into the trees.

"Why you…" he snarled as he steadied himself on the branch and glared down at Sid, while Fuza fell to the floor. The smell of burnt feathers wafted up into the air.

"You might know Mantra...but your bird doesn't," Sid said.

"Kamakiri!"

Laki's horrified scream got Sid's attention and she instinctively turned towards the sound.

_Shing!_

Wyper's bazooka blocked off Shura's Heat Javelin aimed straight for Sid's heart.

"Idiot!" Wyper growled as he pushed Shura off and aimed the barrel of his bazooka at him, "What are you doing looking away?"

"Sorry!" Sid gasped but before she could turn back, Wyper gave her a hard shove with one of his hands.

"Go! Go check on them!" Wyper ordered.

"G-Got it!" Sid said as she dashed over in the direction she heard Laki. When she got close enough, she could see Kamakiri sprawled across Laki's lap. The woman's face was paler than usual and she held out her blood covered hands in front of her. Sid slid on her knees down the tree root they were on and she stopped right at their side. From around them, Shandians fired their weapons at a third priest, Ohm, keeping him as far away from Laki as possible.

"Boo!" Sid shouted and her pet came flying down. He expanded until he was large enough for Kamakiri to lay across him, undisturbed, "Take him to the outer island. I'll be there in just a second."

"Boo!" Boo shouted and flew away.

Sid put her two hands on Laki's face as she tried to focus the woman. "Laki! You need to get out of here. You're in shock. Laki! Laki!"

_Thwack!_

Sid gave the woman a hard slap across the face but there still was no real response. Sid sighed and threw Laki over her shoulder. Despite Laki being taller than Sid, she was able to carry her as if she was nothing but a rag doll.

"Assist the wounded! We're pulling back now!" Sid heard Wyper order and she let out a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, Wyper was in front of her and he scowled at her feet. "Somebody carry Laki for Sid!"

"Eh?"

Sid felt someone pull Laki off and then suddenly she was also being carried.

"You don't have your wavers," Wyper growled as held her on his back.

"Oh...Oh, yeah…" Sid said as Wyper threw out a milky dial and skated them out of Upper Yard. To the surprise of both of them, the priests actually let them go without argument but it was something they were not going to question or linger on for the moment.

"So?" Wyper's grunt interrupted the otherwise silent retreat towards the outer island.

"So what?"

"So what were you doing in Upper Yard?"

Sid grimaced. "Well...If i told you, you'll drop me and leave me for dead."

"I won't. The wounded needs to be tended to," he said.

"Good point." Sid reached into her bag and pulled out a tangerine.

"I went to go get these," she said, deciding only to tell the partial truth, "The Blue Sea people had it on their ship. I couldn't get all of it this morning so I went back. These will help our wounded immensely."

She could feel Wyper's shoulders tense beneath her hands.

"And Gan Fall? And the other priest, Satori?"

"What about Satori?" Sid asked.

"So you didn't take down Satori?"

"Eh?! Satori was defeated?" Sid gasped.

"What about Gan Fall? Is he dead?"

"I don't know," Sid said, which was true in some ways, "Shura took him down and I used that opening to get to the tangerines."

Wyper's shoulders tensed up even more and his hands on her thighs stiffened as well. It wasn't the answer he wanted to hear.

Sid held the tangerine right underneath his nose. "Smell that? That's a powerful oil on the skin that I can use for the injured and the fruit can help the sick."

"Just heal them," Wyper grunted as they approached the outer island.

"So?"

"So what?" Wyper growled.

"So why did we suddenly attack Upper Yard?"

"Aisa heard Satori and Gan Fall's voices disappear. With Upper Yard rattled like that, it was a good opportunity for us to strike. She also told us she heard you there too."

"And you thought I took out one of them?"

"I considered the possibility, yes."

"You think that highly of me, huh?" Sid grinned.

"I have never questioned your healing nor your combat skills," Wyper said, "It's your priorities that worries me."

"Well, at least right now our priorities are aligned," Sid said and jumped off of his back. They had reached the outer island and she rushed towards the row of injured warriors that the others had laid out for her.

She went into her bag and threw bandages and small leather pouches at some of the warriors standing by. "You guys tend to the ones with non-lethal injuries on their limbs. Cover the wounds with the paste and then bandage it up. Bring them back to the village and I'll follow up with them there," she barked. Wyper's time to lead was over. This was her territory now, "Now, who is bleeding the most?"

"It's Kamakiri. Over here!" Braham shouted as he waved Sid over. He had a large piece of cloth pressed up against Kamakiri's wound. It was most likely someone's shirt but Sid had no time to dwell on it.

"Let me see the wound," Sid instructed and Braham pulled away the cloth. Now that Kamakiri was on his back, she could see the devastating gash that went across his stomach.

"The blood. It won't stop," Braham gulped.

"Braham, go away," she said as she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a green tinted bottle.

"What?"

"Go away!" she roared and shoved him off, "I don't want you to see this. You'll be sure to react to something and it'll only distract me."

She yanked the cork out of the bottle with her teeth and then poured the contents over the blade of her spear. "Now who has a Flame Dial?!"

"Over here!" someone shouted and she held out her hand.

"Toss it over!"

Once she got the Flame Dial, she clicked it on and put the blade right over the flame. The fire raged even more as soon as the metal hit and soon the blade was red hot. She took a deep breath and then pressed the flat part of her blade against Kamakiri's stomach.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Kamakiri roared as she cauterized his wounds. His hands instinctively reached up to grab her wrist but then released his grip as he fell unconscious from the pain. Even with that, it did not disrupt Sid and she kept on going until his entire wound was sealed.

"Boo?" Sid asked as she rested her spear next to her.

"Boo!" Her sky sheep turned black and he began to rain down on Kamakiri. It washed away the blood and cooled the skin.

Sid pulled out of her bag a towel and wiped Kamakiri's stomach dry. She took out another pouch and smeared the contents over the charred flesh. She wrapped bandages around him and then used the dampened towel to wipe the sweat and dirt from his face. "There…" she sighed and then looked up. Her face hardened, "Who's next?!"

When she was done treating everyone that had any serious injuries, they were carried back to the village. She watched the last person get transported with a wary eye before she returned to the front part of the island. The only people left were Wyper, Braham, Gendou, and Laki. Kamakiri was resting right where Sid had left him. She didn't want anyone to move him but her and Boo.

Sid wiped her blood covered hands on a towel as she walked over to the group.

"How are Kamakiri's wounds?" Wyper asked.

"He'll live."

"Was it deep?"

"Ah."

Gendou put his hands in his head. "Hard to believe he would be beaten…" he sighed, "Ohm really is formidable."

"It...it was my fault…" Laki whispered and she clenched her fists to her side. She lowered her head, "It...It was my fault! Aisa's bag…"

Sid sucked in a breath and her eyes went to the bag that Laki was holding. She hadn't noticed it until now.

Laki squeezed her eyes shut as she confessed. "Aisa's bag got caught on Ohm's sword and I couldn't get away. Kamakiri dove in and he took the hit for me."

Wyper reached out and ripped the bag away from her. She fell to her knees as she tearfully looked up at the warrior. He squeezed his fingers around the bag and streams of Vearth came pouring out of it's sides. "It's stuff like this that causes distractions in battle! Are you here to get in our way, Laki?!"

"I'm...I'm really sorry," Laki said softly.

"We're up against  _priests_!" Wyper shouted, "If we lack any strength in battle, we'll never make it to God's Shrine!"

"I know apologizing won't fix anything but give that back! That's Aisa's treasure!" Laki replied as she made a grab for the bag but Wyper easily moved it out of her reach, "I promised...I promised I would get some Vearth for her!"

"Shut up! Enough with this nonsense!" Wyper shouted as he pulled back his arm with full intention of throwing the bag and the Vearth into the Sea Clouds.

"Throwing it away won't fix anything either, Wyper," Sid stated as she grabbed the strap of the bag and pulled it towards her with Wyper still clutching tightly to the other end, "Just give it to me. I need it anyways to grow my plants."

"Of course you'd take Laki's side on this," Wyper snarled.

"There is no  _side_  for this!" Sid snapped. Her fatigue was grating against her patience, "Do you not want me to have plants? Do you not want me to heal the wounded? Did you want Kamakiri to die?!"

"Of course I don't!" Wyper said but was still not letting go.

"I can still fight. Don't count me out just yet."

Wyper and Sid both let go of the bag as they whirled around to see Kamakiri walking over to them with an arm over his bandaged stomach. The bag dropped to the ground and a wind picked up the faint traces of loose Vearth that spilled out of it.

"Kamakiri, you need to rest," Sid said but her cousin ignored her.

"You're right, Wyper. Now is the time to take down Upper Yard," Kamakiri said, "With Satori gone, we put up a good fight during today's battle so let's attack again tomorrow, Wyper. Once we defeat Enel, we won't need to revere a single bag of Vearth. Right?"

Wyper's fingers tightened into a fist. "Ah. We will fight tomorrow." He turned his back on his friends and faced the moonlit silhouette of Upper Yard. "You guys go back to the village and rest up. Gather all the able bodied men and return here at sunrise."

"Ah," his friends said as they turned to leave.

"Sid!"

Sid stopped and looked over at Wyper.

"Don't bring your medical bag tomorrow."

"Wha...What?!" She ran around Wyper so that she could look him right in the face, "Are you crazy?!"

Wyper folded his arms over his chest. "Tomorrow is our final battle. Our last stand. If you aren't prepared to abandon anyone who falls during the fight, then you shouldn't come. The same goes to the rest of the men. This is not a battle we can win with the faint hearted."

"Wyper," Sid growled, "You are asking me to go against everything I was taught as a healer. Stepping over the fallen is not in my nature."

"What about what you were taught as a Shandian warrior? That is in your nature too!" Wyper snapped and glared down at Sid, "I saw you today. I saw you with Shura. If you hadn't been distracted by Laki's distress, you may have had a chance to take him down."

He grabbed her by the shoulders. "I know you don't want any more fighting. I know you want our people to live but don't you see that this battle is the only way we can survive?! If we don't take this opportunity and end this war tomorrow, we may never end it!"

Sid stared at Wyper. Maybe if he was saying this to anybody else, it wouldn't seem out of the ordinary but Sid wasn't just anybody else. She was the one person in the entire tribe that argued and fought with Wyper on a consistent basis. She knew when he was angry. From the intonations and inflections in his voice, she could even tell at what level of anger he was at. However, there was no anger this time. Yes, he was shouting. Yes, he was glaring. He certainly looked and sounded the part but Sid could see right through him.

Wyper was asking for her help.

Sid closed her eyes and drew in a breath. To not tend to the wounded would probably be something she would never forgive herself for but to not end this war once and for all would be undeniably inexcusable. "Fine," she said softly, "Just do me a favor…"

"What?"

"If you're going to step over my body tomorrow, at least wear a loin cloth. I don't want my last memory of the physical world to be your manhood."


	5. A Strengthened Resolve

Sid woke up before the sun and as the hints of dawn approached the village, she could hear the people stirring in their tents. It was evident that none of them had a good night sleep. News had travelled fast as soon as the warriors returned from the battle and by the time Sid was done taking care of the last wounded man, the whole village knew what was in store today.

Sid sat at the base of Cagara's statue with her bare hands tucked under her chin. Boo slept right on top of her head. Her wavers were on her feet and her spear rested across her knees.

"Ready?"

Sid glanced over and saw her grandfather walking over to her from his tent. She nodded and he took a seat next to her. He gazed up at the statue and he smiled faintly up at the legendary warrior.

"I used to sit here and look at him too before I went to battle," he said quietly.

"I know...Grandmother told me. She said you would come here for some answers."

"Is that why you are here?"

"I was debating whether or not I'll be able to do the right thing…" Sid said, "To ignore my friends and focus on the enemy."

"I see," Urepo replied, "And have you come to a conclusion?"

Sid nodded against her hands and with her eyes still glued onto the statue. "There is no need for debate. This is not about whether I will be able to or not. I  _have_ to...This war needs to end today. I don't think I can take another battle...or another loss."

"...Same," Genbou whispered and then he put his hand on the back of her head, "As the chief, I will tell you to give it your all. To light the fires of Shandora and bring peace and honor to our ancestors...but as your grandfather…"

Sid whirled around to look at her grandfather when she heard his voice get caught in his throat. To her surprise, his eyes were getting moist and she could feel his fingers trembling against her skull. She gaped at him.

Her grandfather was always so dignified and poised and Sid had never seen him cry. He had stood stoically, like a pillar of strength, not only through his own wife's funeral but also his sons' and Sid's mother's. This was a man who had lost the most of his friends and family out of the entire tribe and now, at the thought of losing his granddaughter, his last blood kin, he was finally at his breaking point.

"Come back to me, okay?" he said softly, "You come back alive."

Sid threw her arms around his shoulders and she kissed his cheek, just as she used to do as a child. "I'll do both, old man. You just wait and see."

They sat like that, with Sid's arms around him and both sitting cross legged in front of the statue, for a long time. One by one, the warriors gathered in front of the statue until there were about twenty of them along with Kamakiri, Genbou, and Braham. The rest of the tribe stood around them in hushed and frightened silence. Sid looked to Kamakiri and she nudged his shin with her elbow before standing up. "Come on. Let's not keep Wyper waiting."

"Ah," Kamakiri said as they led the warriors up to the outer island in silence. As she walked away from her grandfather, she gave his shoulder a light squeeze.

"I'll do both," she repeated and then she left.

As she walked alongside the men, she could feel a couple of eyes on her. She looked up Genbou, the closest of the gawkers and pursed her lips. "What?"

Kamakiri, who was walking behind her, nudged the bag on her shoulder with his elbow. "I thought Wyper said no medical bag?"

Sid rolled her eyes and flipped open the top without breaking stride to show that the bag was empty. "No medical supplies so it's just a bag."

"Are you planning on collecting Vearth for Aisa?!" Braham asked.

That made Sid stop right in her tracks and she planted her hands on her hips. She spoke loud enough for everyone around her to here, just in case they got any wrong ideas of her. "Of course I'm not. I am fully aware that we are going into war and don't you dare question my mentality."

"Then why the bag?" Genbou pressed.

"I don't know. Guns? Dials? Other weapons? You never know when a bag can come in handy!" Sid said, "There might be something I can take from our enemy that would come in handy."

"Alright, alright." Kamakiri stepped in and played the peacemaker that he always seemed to end up being. He shoved Sid forward and nodded for the others to keep moving, "Sid's just being prepared. That's all. Besides, she didn't question it when Braham added those Flash Dials into his gun and she didn't question Genbou when he said he could carry an iron bazooka all on his own so let's give her the benefit of the doubt, all right?"

"There shouldn't be  _any_  doubt," Sid hissed, despite trudging forward and not saying another word.

"Sorry, Sid…" Genbou mumbled.

"Ah," was all Braham could say but he was always one for brevity.

When the warriors met up with Wyper, he was standing in the exact same spot as he was when they had left. His arms were crossed and he stood facing Upper Yard directly. The only slight change was a pile of burnt twigs next to his feet. He probably had slept the least amongst all of them.

"Boo?" The sky sheep woke up with a start and rolled off the side of her head down to her shoulder.

"Stay as close to me as possible, okay, Boo?" Sid said as she scratched him behind the horns.

"Boo…"

"Is this everyone?" Wyper asked as he looked over his shoulder at Kamakiri.

"Ah."

If he thought anything of Laki's absence, Wyper did not let it show. Surprisingly, to Sid, he didn't even say or react in anyway when his eyes fell on her bag. Maybe he had too much on his mind and didn't want to bother with getting into another shouting match with her. Whatever the reason, Sid was glad he didn't question it. He turned his gaze back to the battlefield. "I won't let this opportunity go to waste! Those who aren't prepared for this battle can stay here. I won't blame you."

"C'mon, Wyper. We're always prepared," one of the warriors protested.

"Are you really prepared to abandon anyone who falls during the fight? Those who can step over comrades and keep moving, come with me!" Wyper declared, "Do not look to Sid. There is no healer in this fight today."

Sid's lower jaw tightened as she felt a couple of men looking at her way but she kept her resolve apparent in her stance. Her eyes were glued to the back of Wyper's head. She was following his lead. No questions. No arguments. They can't afford to waver in their determination. Not today. Not for this fight.

"Set your sights on God's Shrine! Don't stop! No matter what happens," Wyper shouted and then he looked up to the heavens, "Today, we're only after one thing. Enel's head!"

He charged forward with his bazooka in hand and the warriors followed suit with a thunderous roar. They sped through the Sea Clouds on their wavers. The wind whipped through their hair and collided with shields. No one wore any masks. This was a battle where they wanted their enemies to know their face.

The warriors in front created rivers of clouds with their Milky Dials and the group separated as they approached the outskirts of Upper Yard. Sid somersaulted on her skates towards a river that was much higher up than the rest. She sailed up into the air and through the trees.

As they made their way deeper into the island, Sid could hear significantly less and less people around her. It was so sudden and they were being stopped in clusters. Her own speed began to slow down but it wasn't because she wanted to figure out what happened. In fact, her pace was being changed without her permission.

"Why….why is it getting harder to move?" Sid gasped. She felt like she was being held back by invisible vines and she could no longer move any part of her body.

"My...My body!"

Sid's eyes moved to the farthest corner it could possibly reach and she saw Kamikiri dangling in midair. The sight of him made Sid gasp in realization.

_String...This is the String Ordeal!_

"Hello again, Shandians! Looking good!" Shura jumped down from the trees and landed on a boulder a few feet ahead of them. A charred Fuza sailed down and stood behind the priest, "Forgive my rude welcome."

"Shura!" Kamakiri snarled.

"Ah...I know my name. You don't need to tell me," Shura laughed, "It's unfortunate news for you but Upper Yard's layout has changed since last night. You've all been caught in my newly placed String Ordeal...Survival rate is 3%."

From her ear, Sid could hear the sniffing of Boo, followed by the distinct feel of his wool brushing up against cheek as he stretched his head a bit further out.

"Boo?" Sid whispered as her sky sheep crawled up her suspended arm. After a few seconds, whatever entangled around her neck disappeared with a snap. She could finally turn her head and she gazed up at her sky sheep, who was chewing on something.

 _Chomp. Chomp._ "Boo!"

"String Clouds!" Kamakiri shouted as he reached the same conclusion as Sid, although his was determined because he spotted it through his rose tinted sunglasses.

"Indeed," Shura smirked, "I'm glad you can tell. What covers my area are String Clouds, so fine they can't be seen by the naked eye and strong enough to stop even grown men. You pulled them in yourselves when you came through the island's entrance. Look closely, you're covered in string. Everyone that is….except...two..."

He casually rolled to the side just as Sid's spear came ramming down from above. It cracked right into the stone. She wasted no time. With her spear fully supported by the rock, she used the uprighted handle to swing around and kick at Shura, who dodged it as well. She landed on her feet and unleashed a flurry of right and left jabs towards his jaw and neck. They both knew he was going to avoid her blows but it still forced him to take a few steps back. Using that distance to her advantage, Sid quickly backtracked and freed her weapon from the stone. In a second breath she backflipped off the boulder, creating even more space between the two. She had used up her chance for a sneak attack. His Mantra was much too strong.

"How did the fly get out of the trap?" Shura growled at her.

Boo sailed off the branch ahead and landed right on Sid's head. His cheeks were full while he munched. "Boo!"

"What is that?" Shura asked with narrowed eyes.

"Oh...I guess they don't have sky sheep where you're from," Sid said as she directed her sharpened spear at his face, "They graze on clouds, you know. Any kind. They can chew right through them."

"Why you-," Shura snarled.

"Sid! Get out of the way!"

Sid looked up as Wyper leapt down from the treetops with his bazooka aimed right at Shura. The priest smirked and climbed onto his bird. "Let's go, Fuza!"

They sailed upwards to meet Wyper halfway just as the warrior fired off his bazooka. The priest maneuvered to the side, avoiding the rocket. The boulder exploded into pieces and sent Sid hurtling backwards from the after shock.

"If I die from his hands, I'm going to haunt him," Sid grunted as she got to her feet. She grabbed Boo and tossed him in Kamakiri's direction. The sheep landed right on his face. "Boo! Free the others!"

"Boo!"

"Don't assume you can match me in mid-air!" Shura shouted as he sailed towards Wyper with his Heat Javelin at the ready.

"Sid! Catch!"

Sid opened her arms and caught Wyper's bazooka and shield instinctively. At the same second, Shura's javelin pierced right in Wyper's left shoulder.

"What?!" Both Sid and Shura were astounded by the turn of these events.

"Why would you throw your gun and shield away?" Shura demanded.

Wyper's teeth sank into his cigar and he grabbed Shura's own shoulder with his bare hand. "You want a shoulder? You can have it."

Flames ignited from the point of impact but Wyper did not flinch. He held Shura firmly as placed as he splayed a bandaged palm out right over Shura's heart.

"Are you crazy?!" Sid cried out when she saw his stance.

"Reject!" Wyper roared as he pressed his Reject Dial against Shura's chest, sending a shockwave ten times the force of a normal Impact Dial through the priest and sending him rocketing back to the ground.

Sid rushed to the side, furthering herself even more from the broken boulder. She narrowly escaped being flattened by the demolished priest by a hair. She clutched Wyper's artillery to her chest and she glared at him when he landed on his wavers in front of her. The flame in his shoulder was gone but it still smoking. He clutched his other shoulder with his bare hand while his bandaged one hung limply at his side.

"Are you crazy?!" Sid demanded just as the rest of the men rushed towards them, including a much slower and rounder Boo.

"Wyper, are you trying to die?!" Kamakiri asked, "If you use the Reject Dial one more time, your body will be blown apart!"

Wyper's jaw clenched and he grabbed his bazooka back from Sid. He rested it on his shoulder without faltering in the slightest. "So what? Isn't that called resolve? These guys can't be beaten without such sacrifices."

With that, he created a new road with his Milky Dial and sailed off.

"That guy…" Kamakiri growled.

"I know," Sid scoffed and threw Wyper's abandoned shield to the side, "Leaving me to hold onto his stuff. If this is the real reason why he told me not to pack my medical bag, I'm going to take his head."

"Oy! Why are you throwing his shield away? You might as well use one!" Kamakiri lectured.

"You know I don't use those," Sid said and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You don't fight with shields...You don't fight with Impact Dials...I'll never understand your fighting style," Kamakiri sighed, "Effective as it is."

Sid shrugged. "It's just how I do things."

"What are you guys all standing around for?!" Braham demanded as he spun his pistols in his hands, "We're behind enemy lines now. We need to split up. There are still two priests out there. Since the location of their ordeals have changed, we don't all want to get caught in the same ordeal again. There's no reason to be that stupid."

His pistols stilled and he ran off. "I'm going on ahead."

"Boo!" Sid shouted and took off as well when her sky sheep was back on her shoulder.

They raced down the cloudy road, wove around the trees, and went deeper into the island. Suddenly, there was a trembling bleat overhead and Sid backflipped out of the way just as a hand swiped right past her. Boo went spinning into the back but he recovered into a floating position after a few a few spins. As Sid landed on her feet, she felt a deep cut in her right cheek. She righted herself up and her hand went to touch the wound. She narrowed her eyes and studied her opponent's bandaged hands.  _He didn't even touch me...so how…? What dial did he use?_

"Meeeh," the man bleated. He was cloaked in a white robe and he had sharp horns on his head. Besides his ears dangled long lobes of flesh that made it look like he had two pairs of ears. He had one arm raised in the back and another hand facing palm out towards Sid. "Heso!"

"A Divine Soldier?" Sid asked, recognizing the garb and the Skypiean greeting.

"Indeed! By God Eneru's order, we've been sent to clean out all of Upper Yard. Accept the fact that there is no escape from us fifty elite Divine Soldiers! Taste the wrath of the Axe Dial! A dial that does not exist in Skypiea. It can cut right through the human body in one breath."

"Axe Dial," Sid said as she touched her cut again, "So that's what that is…"

He leapt into the air with his palm still out towards Sid, "Axe Dial!"

"You know the problem with fighting with dials?" Sid asked as she turned to the side just as his hand pushed towards where she originally stood so it looked like they were standing side by side. In one breath, she grabbed him by the elbow with one hand and then used her other to push his forearm so that his dial-strapped hand came towards his chest.

"WHAT?!" he gasped just as the top of his dial clicked against him. He was sliced cleanly in half within a blink of an eye. Sid released him and he fell right through the cloudy road, staining a patch of it red.

"You always have to be at the point of contact too," Sid answered to the patch.

"Meeeh! Meeehhh!"

"Ahhhh!"

Off in the distance and below the tree branches, Sid could hear the sounds of more Divine Soldiers and the cries of her people. Sid clenched her teeth and headed straight for the noise. It wasn't like she was going against Wyper's directive, it was technically in the direction of God's Shrine. When she got close enough, she could see a group of Divine Soldiers circling around five Shandians in a cloudy road below her. There was trail of wounded and bloodied Shandians leading up to them. As soon as Sid saw the crimson trail of Shandian blood, her own vision turned the same color.

"Boo, stay up here," Sid ordered and then jumped right down.

_Wham!_

She landed her knees right against one of the Divine Soldier's shoulders, using her downward trajectory to force him head first into the clouds. He was the one that stood directly in front of the Shandian's path. The two Divine Soldier's flanking her turned towards her in surprise but before they had another second to react, Sid had the end of her spear in hand. She cleaved an arc around her, slicing them deep across the chest, adding their blood into the mix.

"SID!" the Shandians cried.

"Go on ahead. I'll meet you all at God's Shrine. I'll take it from here," Sid said as she glared at the other still remaining Divine Soldiers.

"But-"

"Go!" Sid ordered and then when the first Shandian started to make a move past her, she moved forward to intercept the incoming Divine Soldiers. She dropped her spear into the cloud, ignoring it for the moment, and grabbed the closest wrist of a Divine Soldier. She swiveled to the side to avoid getting hit by the Axe Dial attached to his hand and then moved the Divine Soldier's hand to the side, where it touched another Divine Soldier.

"No!" the Divine Soldier gasped as he inadvertently cut through his comrade.

_Thwack!_

Sid threw an elbow across his jaw, feeling his bone crack against hers and then let go of her hold. Another Divine Soldier ran towards her with his hand at the ready and she jumped into a front flip. Her hard waver cracked down against his skull as she landed.

"This is what happens when you harm one of God's soldiers! Axe Dial!"

Sid side stepped out of the way just as the final Divine Soldier came towards her from the back. She caught him by the elbow. She dug her fingers into his arm and twisted it around, securing the muscle and bone right where she wanted it. She raised her own elbow high over his straightened arm and then dropped it down, feeling the cracks and the tears.

"AHHHHHH!" the Divine Soldier screamed. She released his limp arm and he writhed on the ground in pain.

" _This_  is what happens when you fight a healer in combat," Sid asked as she knelt down next to him and stared coldly at his pained expression, "I know how to break every bone in your body with the least amount of effort." She stood back up and kicked him hard across the face, smashing his nose and sending him tumbling over the edge of the cloudy road.

With the enemy gone, Sid's attention went to the wounded Shandians along the path. Instinctively, she took one step towards them.

"No. Sid...Go! Wyper is waiting for you...Just...go to the God's Shrine!" one of the remaining conscious ones groaned as he clutched a bleeding wound to his chest, "We might not be able to go on but you can. We're...we're counting on you!"

Sid sucked in a breath.

"GO!" he shouted.

"...Ah," Sid gritted her teeth and powered up her waver. It took more force for her to wrench herself away from the scene than to jump back up to her original path, where Boo floated in wait. She tapped her shoulder and once he was back in his spot, she skated onwards again. "

The war ends today!" she promised as she skated off.

"Ahhhh!" came the rallying cry of the wounded men she was leaving behind.


	6. A Temporary Coexistance

"...Sid...Are you mad at me?...Sid?"

Sid kept her wrists pressed hard against her closed eyes and continued to massage her temples with her fingers. She ignored the timid whimper from the Shandian child.  _This isn't happening,_ Sid repeated to herself,  _This isn't happening. This isn't happening. This isn't-_

"Sid? I'm really sorry. I'm really, really-"

"What...," Sid muttered as she tried to keep calm, "...In the name...of  _all_  our ancestors...were you even  _doing_  here, Aisa? You're supposed to be in the village!"

"I...I came to warn you and Wyper," Aisa gulped from behind the legs of Nami. Somehow the Blue Sea person, which the child was trying to fight off earlier, was suddenly her shield against the potential wrath of the Shandian healer. Even Boo, who was resting on top of Sid's head, looked worriedly at the child and unsure of what his master might do to her, "I...I heard a lot of voices disappearing and-"

"Of  _course,_  you heard a lot of voices disappearing!" Sid's hands fell to her side and balled into tight fists. "This is a  _war_! Aisa, you shouldn't have come here! Do you know how much danger you put yourself in? How much danger you're STILL in?!"

Sid had almost vomited out her own heart when she saw Aisa on the back of Nami's waver up in the Upper Ruins. Sid, Wyper, Gan Fall, and even the green haired swordsman had converged there with Ohm waiting for them with his pet, Holy. Sid and Wyper were on their way up Giant Jack and towards God's Shrine only to be stopped by the priest. Gan Fall had suddenly come down from the shrine and broke the news that not only was God's Shrine was destroyed, Enel was nowhere to be found. It was all a mess and to make matters even more aggravating for Sid, instead of working with her to take down Ohm, Wyper was caught up fighting off the Blue Sea swordsman.

Just when Sid thought she had somewhat of a handle on the situation, Aisa and Nami had appeared out of nowhere. They burst through the clouds with the child screaming bloody murder while dangling from the back of the waver. Sid had abandoned her fight with Ohm almost immediately to go retrieve the child. She had promised Wyper that she was willing to step over any fallen comrades but Aisa was an exception. She wasn't supposed to be on the battlefield.

As Sid rode up with Boo and grabbed Aisa away from the waver, the snake appeared from above and swallowed them as well as Gan Fall, who had flown over with Pierre. Why he did that was beyond Sid's comprehension and she didn't even want to bother to ask. This war was turning more into a circus and Sid could only handle one clown at a time.

"Explain yourself, Aisa!" Sid demanded.

"Eek!" Aisa shrieked and ducked even further behind the orange haired woman, who was just as frustrated at Sid as Sid was with the child.

"It wasn't her fault!" Nami huffed with her hands on her hips, "We came here to get away from the snake!"

"Good job," Sid scoffed and waved her hand around the damp and dark cavernous belly, "Was being digested and excreted out as snake droppings your idea of getting away?"

"Hey! We were chased! We had no choice but to run into Upper Yard," Nami snapped, "And don't think I forgot that you owe me for my tangerines. Your debt has tripled since you took even more of them after I left."

"Aisa!" Sid yelled.

"Don't ignore me!"

"Aisa," Sid continued, looking straight past the annoyed Blue Sea woman, "Does anybody in the village know you're here? Your mom? Laki? My grandfather? Anybody?"

Aisa gulped and she shook her head.

"Do you realize how worried they must be once they realize you're gone?"

Aisa's head dropped and she shuffled her feet. "I...I'm really sorry...I was only trying to help."

Sid sighed and she walked over to the child. She squatted down so they were eye level and she put a hand on Aisa's head, "Sometimes trying to help only hurts the situation, Aisa. You think about that while I figure out a way to get out of the snake and get  _you_ out of Upper Yard."

"Y-You're not going to yell at me anymore?" Aisa asked quietly.

"I'll let Wyper take care of the yelling once we get out of here," Sid said and she grinned at the sight of the child's discomfort. The threat of Wyper was punishment enough for Aisa. Sid looked towards the adults, "So...any ideas on how we can get out of here?"

"Hmmmm," Gan Fall said as he rubbed his chin, "Maybe we can just break through the stomach?"

"Are you nuts?!" Nami yelled, "What're we going to do if we irritate it and it starts going wild again?! Do you wanna die? We're inside of him! We're going to get tossed around along with these rocks. There's no way we'd survive. Try using your head more!"

"Are all Blue Sea women this wound up?" Sid asked with a raised eyebrow as Gan Fall let out a sheepish chuckle.

"I...I was just joking?" he tried but it did little to placate Nami.

Aisa bit her lip and tentatively tugged on Sid's skirt. "Sid," she hissed, "Shouldn't we...Shouldn't we kill him? He's  _God_!"

"You think we should kill him?" Sid asked and then shoved Aisa forward, "Go ahead. Do it. I won't stop you."

"Eh?!" Aisa's head ping ponged between her fellow Shandian and the Skypiean. She clutched her weapon, a short stick with a broken Impact Dial stuck at the top, "You're not going to do it, Sid?"

"One God at a time, Aisa," Sid said, "I'm going to deal with Enel first...If I survive that,  _then_  I'll worry about this one."

Gan Fall smiled at the Shandians, more so to the older one. "I didn't have a chance to thank you yet for treating my wounds the other day. Thank you."

"You did what?!" Aisa gasped at Sid, "But...But he's the enemy!"

Sid glowered at the knight. "I only kept you alive so that there was someone else Enel could focus on. Don't take that as a sign I'm merciful. I  _will_  kill you if necessary. "

That didn't seem to faze the former God one bit. "Then I'll make sure to keep my demise unnecessary for you then."

"Shhh! Listen!" Nami hissed suddenly and cupped her hands over her ears, "Do you guys hear that?"

The group fell silent and they all perked up their ears. As soon as they did, they could hear the distinct sounds of something hard slapping rhythmically against moistened stone. The sounds were coming towards them.

"Someone's coming," Sid said as she kept Aisa behind her with one hand while she reached for her spear with the other.

"What could be in a place like this?" Nami whispered.

"Who goes there?!" Gan Fall demanded with his javelin at the ready.

They heard a crumbling of stone and then a shadowy figure climbed up and over the swallowed rubble. When his face came into light, Nami let out a gasp while one of Sid's eyebrows cocked upwards.

"Ahh...Nami! Weird old man!" came the cry of a boy in a straw hat, "Oh! And the guerilla lady from before!"

"You...are...one of the Blue Sea people," Sid said slowly when her eyes fell on his red vest.

"Luffy?!" Nami exclaimed.

"Oooh! I'm so glad to see you! How'd you guys get into this mystery cave? Where's the exit?!" he asked.

"What are you doing in a place like this?" Nami asked back.

Luffy pouted and he looked absolutely pathetic to Sid. "I couldn't get out of this place."

"I can't believe it...To think you were swallowed by the snake too…" Nami breathed, "So the others are okay too?"

"Huh? I'm by myself," Luffy said and then he straightened up, "What?! Snake?!"

Nami nodded. "Yeah! That's why we're here."

"Oh, I see…So you guys got eaten by a snake," Luffy scratched his chin, "That must've been terrible for you guys."

Sid's other eyebrow joined its twin at the top of her head.  _This guy is...an idiot!_

"Like I said," Nami hissed and raised her fist. She grabbed the boy by the nose and began to tug it every which way, "So were you! We're inside the snake's stomach!"

"Ow. Ow. Ow! Don't pull my nose!" Luffy whine and when she finally released it, his nose snapped back into his face.

"I can see why you are always so agitated, Nami," Sid said and gave the girl's shoulder a soft pat, "To have this guy as part of your crew...Your captain must be a very patient man."

Nami winced and her shoulders slumped. "I'd rather not say this but...the captain of our ship...is this guy."

Multiple beads of sweat dripped down Gan Fall's face and Sid's jaw dropped to the floor.

"You are the captain?" Gan Fall breathed towards Luffy, "It must be the the end of the world…"

Nami's posture moved downwards even more. "Yeah…" she sighed, "I guess that's how people'd normally see it."

"You must be really slow if you didn't even notice you were eaten by a snake," Aisa stated bluntly to the captain.

Luffy looked to the girl, to Sid, to Gan Fall, and then finally to his own crew member. His eyes widened to the size of Nami's tangerines. "AHHHH! Then this place is inside that giant snake's stomach?! Does this mean I've been eaten too?!"

Sid moved her eyes over to Nami with a sudden newfound respect for the girl. It was already a commendable feat for any Blue Sea ship to arrive on the White Sea with even a handful of crew members left but to do so with this boy as the captain? The entire crew must have some strong ancestors looking after them.

"That's what I've been telling you," Nami said with a roll of her eyes, "You didn't even realize your clothes have started to melt already, didn't you?"

"WHOA! You're right!" Luffy exclaimed. He tugged at the ends of his frayed vest that was already shortened to just below his ribs. It took him less than second to get over his wardrobe mishap. He frowned and looked around him, "I guess we'll have to look for its butthole right away."

"Butt…" Sid said.

"Hole?" Aisa finished.

_Thwack!_

Nami slapped the boy hard across the face. "Just where're you planning to escape from!"

The boy seemed unfazed by his crew member's act of violence and he frowned contemplatively. "We were eaten...so why not just go 'plop, plop' out of its butt?"

"Noooo!" Nami screeched and her hands went to the side of her head, as if to physically block away any imagery from entering her mind, "I'd rather melt!"

"Question…" Sid said suddenly and then shot her hand up into the air. The headache she was hoping to avoid came throbbing to the front of her brain along with a sinking suspicion, "You! Luffy...If you've been in here for quite some time...and you thought this was a cave...did you try to break down these 'walls' in an attempt to get out?"

A grin spread across Luffy's face. "Yep!" he said proudly.

"Ehhh?!" Nami, Gan Fall, and Aisa leapt back from him as if his stupidity was contagious.

"So...So you're the cause of all this," Gan Fall muttered, "I was wondering why the snake was suddenly acting out so rashly."

"Shishishi. Since I went a little wild, I got hungry," Luffy sighed, "Do any of you have something to eat? Oh! Guerilla lady, you took some of Nami's tangerines, right? Can I have one of them?"

"This cannot be happening...This cannot be happening…" Sid mumbled as her fingers went back to massaging her temples. She was so sure that the Blue Sea people were not the enemy but now part of her wondered if maybe they were devils sent up here to wreak havoc and chaos.

"YOU...STUPID...IDIOT!" Nami seethed.

_Thwack!_

The ground shook beneath Sid's feet and she lowered her hands to see Luffy sprawled on the floor with Nami's fist grinding hard against the top of his head. The shaking became more violent and before Sid could react, the floor was pulled out from under her and the entire group found themselves dropping vertically down the snake's stomach.

"BOO! Get Aisa!" Sid cried as she tucked her head behind her arms to avoid getting her skull crushed by a chunk of stone.

"Don't worry! I got her!" Gan Fall shouted as he pulled the child into his arms. A jagged block hit him right at the small of his back and the former God let out a strangled gasp but he kept his hold on Aisa tight.

"Pieerrrre!" Gan Fall's steed was stuck in an empty barrel with his wings pinned to his sides and unable to save his master.

"Boo! Go!" Sid shouted.

"Boo!" Boo darted forward and expanded to the size of a small bed. He caught Gan Fall and Aisa in the knick of time and gently floated them downwards the rest of the way.

Sid braced herself for impact. She tucked herself into a ball protecting as much of her head as she could but she knew there was no way she could come out this long fall unscathed.

"GUM GUM BALLOON!"

_Boing! Boing! Boing!_

Sid felt herself hit something soft but springy and then she was bounced up into the air. She opened her eyes just in time to see Nami and Pierre fly past her head. She landed on top the stone and debris that piled up at the base of the snake's stomach with a gentle thud. She uncurled herself and then sat up to see what had happened. Her eyes widened when she saw Luffy's belly shrinking down from an enlarged state.

"...Wha...What are you?"

"Shishishishi," Luffy grinned, "I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit. I'm a rubber man."

"Rubber?" Sid tilted her head to the side. "What's that?"

"You don't know what rubber is?" Nami's voice asked from behind a broken stone slab, "I guess...Sky Islands don't have that."

"Which is why I'm asking," Sid said as Luffy climbed over the slab to look for his friend.

"AHH! Nami!" Luffy screeched when his eyes fell on a dried up skeleton wearing a yellow shirt and dark brown pants. He raced towards the fossil and shook it's shoulders. "Hang in there! Stay with me. STAY WITH ME!"

"But…" Sid sighed.  _That's not even what Nami was wearing…_

The skull popped off of the spine and rolled towards Sid's foot.

"Noooo, Nami!" Luffy cried.

_Thwack!_

Nami came around from behind a nearby rock and punched Luffy lightly across the back of the head. This time, her blow was not as harsh and Sid could only hope that the Blue Sea people have finally learned not to agitate the snake. "I'm over here."

"Let me go! Let me go! Are you trying to squeeze me to death?!"

Aisa thrashed against the knight's armor and he smiled at her before his arms loosened his grip. "So you're okay. Thank goodness."

Aisa pushed herself away from the knight and made a grab for his javelin. She pointed it right at his throat.

"Aisa! What do you think you're doing?!" Nami gasped while Sid studied the child for a second before sitting herself down on a nearby stone.

"I'll take your head!" Aisa cried to the old knight, who was looking at her just as solemnly as Sid was.

"Sid! You're not going to stop her?!" Nami demanded.

"Quiet," Sid said with her eyes glued to the child, "I already said I wouldn't stop Aisa if she chose to kill him. If that is her warrior's resolve, then I will respect that."

Nami was not at all appeased by Sid's answer. "She's not a warrior. She's a child!"

"I am a warrior and he's the enemy! He took away our homeland!" Aisa shouted.

"But wasn't that 400 long years ago?! It wasn't him who started it!" Nami protested.

Gan Fall's eyes stared straight at the child. "If your people would be satisfied with taking my head, I'd gladly give it to you...But the way things are now, taking my head alone won't settle things. The hostility between the Shandians and the Skypieans would not change at all. Our ancestors took your homeland away from you Shandians and I cannot find a way to correctly apologize for that action."

Sid leaned forward in her seat and her hands clasped together between her knees. Her lips pursed into a deep frown as she continued to listen to the former God.

"Time passes by while I continue to remain helpless. I am powerless," Gan Fall admitted, "If possible, I would like to apologize one by one to all Shandians who died in seeking their homeland in the past 400 years but I do not know how much help that would do."

"The weird knight has been trying very hard so that everyone that lives in the sky can get along and live peacefully," Nami chimed in, "Aisa, if you-"

"We can't get along and live peacefully!" Aisa cried, "They are the bad guys!"

"They're not bad guys!" Nami shouted back, "What's bad is when one race refuses to coexist with another!"

Aisa stiffened.

"Am I wrong?!" Nami demanded.

Aisa's eyes welled up with tears as she struggled with her decision to strike and the javelin trembled in her hands.

"Aisa's father died by the hands of a Divine Soldier right after she was born," Sid said slowly but still assertive. She was looking directly at the Skypiean in front of her but it was clear she was addressing the entire group, particularly the child. She was voicing what was going on inside the child's head but too complicated to leave the child's mouth.

"Aisa is about to turn 9...which means her father died during your watch, Gan Fall. This didn't happen from Enel's reign or even 400 years ago and she's not the only one who has lost a parent. Aisa and every Shandian child grows up thinking Skypieans are the bad guys because to us, you  _are_. You  _have_  done bad things. Maybe your powerlessness and inability to make a change counts as one of them..."

"S...Sid…" Nami whispered and then turned to her captain, hoping that maybe he could stop the bloodbath that was on the verge of happening.

Aisa pulled back the javelin and readied herself to thrust it forward.

"But…" Sid continued and Aisa froze, "I also know that we have killed countless Skypiean fathers, brothers, even sons. To your children,  _we_  must look like the bad guys. Both sides have blood on their hands and neither can walk away from this entirely blameless. At this point, everyone is in the wrong…"

She got up from her seat and then placed a hand on the child, who jumped in surprise at the sudden contact. "Except you, Aisa. Your hands are still clean. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I…I…" Aisa stammered.

"I must warn you. The first kill is always the hardest, Aisa," Sid said, "And it always stays with you….Always."

"You…" Gan Fall murmured.

"Ahhhhh!" Aisa fell to her knees and the javelin dropped to the ground with a loud clang. It rolled away from her and she buried her head in her hands, "I...I don't know...I don't know what to do…" she cried.

"Shishishshishi."

The child timidly looked up and over at the grinning captain, who was sitting cross legged and grinning ear to ear.

"There's nothing left to do. He already apologized, right?" he asked.

A corner of Sid's mouth turned upwards. His straightforward and simple mindset was undeniably amusing to her but she couldn't deny his logic. However…

"There's actually a lot to do," she said and raised an eyebrow, "Anybody got any ideas how we can get out of here? I'm open to try anything at this point."

Luffy's hand shot straight up, "I think we should-"

"Except!" Sid cut in immediately, "'Plop, plop'. We are  _definitely_  not doing that."


	7. A Common Goal

"Ahhh! What the hell are they doing out there?" Nami screeched, "Zoro knows full well that we're in here!"

_Kaboom!_

The adults landed hard against the rubble for the upteenth time while Aisa's fall was cushioned by Boo. They had been doing this bumpy dance for several minutes. The snake was thrashing around fiercely, sending it's passengers tumbling every which way. Because everyone had kept a watchful eye on the rubber boy, they knew the snake was reacting to whatever was happening outside of it's body.

Sid sat up and grabbed a rock that had hit her right in the small of her back. "This has Wyper written all over it," she groaned and crushed the rock in her hands. She tossed it over her shoulder and then rubbed out the ache in her back. "That maniac is probably trying to burn a hole through the snake."

"Is this what you mean by hurting instead of helping?" Aisa asked.

"No," Sid scoffed, "Because that would imply Wyper's doing it in order to help us. He's probably just trying to kill the snake because it's getting in the way of Wyper beating up that priest or even Enel, if he shows up."

"Demon...Wyper is a demon," Aisa whimpered.

The ground beneath them started to tremble again and Sid grimaced. "Brace yourselves. Here comes another one."

Aisa ducked further into Boo's cloud and Sid sucked in a breath. Soon, they found themselves high up in the air again but this time they kept rising higher and higher.

 _No!,_ Sid thought with a jolt and then looked towards Boo and Aisa for confirmation,  _We're not flying up...We're falling down! The entire snake is falling!_

"What is going on?!" Nami shrieked and made a grab for her waver just as it was about to float past.

"I see an opening!" Gan Fall shouted and leapt onto Pierre's back. He pointed straight down with his javelin where there was a small circle of light, "The snake's mouth must be open! Let's get out of here."

"Ah! This could go on forever," Nami agreed, "Luffy! Grab onto the waver! I'm going to fire up the engine."

"Yosh!" Luffy shouted as Sid swam herself towards Boo. She climbed onto him but could only kneel right at the end since Aisa had taken up most of the space.

"Boo!"

"Okay. I'm ready, Nami!" Luffy cried out from behind.

"Let's go!'

Sid kept her eyes forward as Boo flew past Nami and they were hot on Gan Fall's tail. She heard the Blue Sea girl rev up the engine and then a bursting sound from the jet dial when she gunned it.

"AHHHHHH!"

A sudden scream caught Sid's attention but before she could even turn around she felt a hand grab hold of her her neck.

"GAK!" she gasped when the fingers dented into her skin and pulled her backwards off of her sky sheep.

"Sid!" Immediately, Aisa swiped her hand out but the child's reflexes were too slow and her reach was too small. She missed Sid's extended arm entirely. "NO!"

With the opening still in view, Sid made a split second decision. "Boo! Keep going! Don't turn away. Get Aisa out of here! Don't worry about me! Just protect Aisa!"

The ruckus caused Gan Fall to turn around and his eyes popped out when Sid and her assailant getting further and further away. "What are they doing?! Pierre, Go back! We have to save those two!"

"Pierre!" Pierre screeched and came to a full stop. Unfortunately, his rider did not expect his steed to be that obedient and Gan Fall flew over the bird and continued to fall downwards.

"PIERRE!" The bird-horse hybrid shrieked and went racing towards Gan Fall again but the old knight deterred him.

"Go back, Pierre! Help those two!"

"Pierre!"

Sid watched the bird-horse fly towards her just as the snake closed it's mouth behind Boo, Aisa, Gan Fall, and Nami. With the visual process of elimination, Sid scowled before she crash landed hard into the belly of the snake again. She closed her eyes but mostly to steel her nerves and less to avoid the dust cloud.

"Shishishi. Whoops! I guess we're back where we were before."

Still on her back and with her eyes firmly shut, she reached out towards the laughter and grabbed a fistful of tattered cloth. She sat up and pulled Luffy towards her so she could glare right into his eyes. "Explain yourself!"

"I didn't realize the waver was that strong and it just blew me off. Sorry," he said with a grin.

"It blew you off?" Sid said and one by one, her fingers relaxed from his hold as reality sunk in, "You...held...onto...the waver's... _jet_?!"

Luffy gave a firm nod. "Yep! And then I reached out to the first thing I could get to...which was you. Shishishishishi. I was actually aiming for Nami but I couldn't see because of all the clouds."

Sid folded her knees up and put her head in between them. "Wyper was right…" she moaned, "You are the enemy."

"I'm not an enemy. I'm a pirate!"

"I don't even know what that means," Sid sighed.

"Pierre!"

"Oh, look! The bird is here," Luffy laughed but Sid couldn't even bring herself to sit up and take a look herself, "Come on! Get on the bird, guerilla lady!"

Finally, Sid's head popped up and she glared at the boy, who was sitting happily on the back of Pierre. "Don't call me that! My name is Sid."

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. Nice to meetcha!" he replied automatically.

His grin was firmly stuck on his face and no matter how long and hard Sid glared at him, it did not move in the slightest. It took a moment for the healer to realize that she would be the one to break this staring contest, otherwise she might wind up looking at this simpleton's face for far too long.

"Monkey D. Luffy…" she grumbled and begrudgingly climbed onto the bird-horse hybrid, "So you're a captain and a pirate."

"Yep! I'm going to be the King of Pirates!" he shouted and then pointed forward towards the head of the snake, "Let's go, Horse!"

"I thought you called it a bird…" Sid said with a roll of her eyes and she held on tightly to Luffy's back. If there was a chance of her falling off, she was determined to take him down with her.

* * *

"What...what is this place?" Aisa breathed as she slowly crawled out of Boo's cloud. It looked similar to the ruins but the buildings were much more intact, barely touched, and there was definitely more of them. Aisa knew for sure this was a part of Upper Yard she had never been to before. The structures were much grander and for some reason, her heart felt warm just by being in their presence.

That sensation left, though, when she spotted the back of a Shandian warrior with a bazooka leaning against his shoulder. "Wyper!"

She took a deep breath and then ran to him. He was so transfixed at the sight in front of him that he didn't even look down at the girl when she tugged on his arm. "Wyper! Sid is...Sid is…"

"Aisa!" he shouted and the child flinched.

"I'm sorry!" she said and took several steps back, despite not knowing what she was apologizing for.

"Look! Aisa! This is the place we've been seeking. The proud city that our ancestor's protected!" he said and then the child realized that for the first time, she heard wonder and awe in the warrior's voice, "This is Shandora!"

"This...this is Shandora?" Aisa's hands went to her face and she took a new look at her surroundings, a much slower and more appreciative look.

"Shaaaaaa!"

The cries of the snake broke Aisa's concentration and she returned to Wyper's side. "Wyper! Sid is still in the snake! She's-"

"What is this, Lord of the Sky? What are you being so worked up for?"

Aisa let out a strangled cry just as Wyper pushed her hard away from him and back onto Boo. He gripped his bazooka and positioned himself between the child and the God of Skypiea, who had finally decided to show himself.

"Enel…" Wyper growled but the God paid him no mind.

"What an annoying snake," Enel mused. He clenched his fist, which became doused in a crackling blue light, "How foolish!"

He threw a punch into the air and the blue light streaked upwards before clustering into a ball of lightning right over the giant snake's head. "El Thor!"

_Kaboom!_

"Shaaaaa!"

A thick, blue lightning bolt engulfed the snake and struck hard into the ground.

"SID!" Aisa screamed.

The light disappeared and left nothing but a smoking snake stretched across the ground.

"Boo!" The sky sheep started to dart forward with the child still riding on top of him but they were blocked when Wyper stuck out his bazooka in their path.

"Don't. She'll be fine," he grunted, "Sid is strong. Worry about yourselves."

"You don't care about Sid at all!" Aisa cried, "You're a demon. A demon!"

"Shut up!" Wyper shouted and then to the child's surprise, he started talking to the sky sheep, "Boo! If you left Sid's side, it must be under her orders. You have something you need to do, don't you?"

"Boo…?"

"Don't you?!"

_Just protect Aisa!_

His master's most recent request rang in the sky sheep's mind and his cloud darkened but expanded at the same time. He enveloped the child and started to slowly float away. "Boo…"

"Good," Wyper growled with his eyes glued to his target.

* * *

"I really thought I was a goner that day. I think it was the closest I've ever come to death," Luffy laughed as he finished telling the story about how he wound up on an execution stand of a place called Loguetown. Apparently, that was where the former King of Pirates had left the physical world.

Sid scoffed. "You said that about your fight with that sand man…"

"Oh yeah. Man, that guy was a jerk! I really don't like him," Luffy huffed, "He put Vivi through hell and he tried to kill Robin too!"

"Yeah. You mentioned that already," Sid said.

Falling down the snake was proving to be a lot faster than running across it. Something had happened outside too that had left the snake motionless. Sid could only assume that Wyper had finally found a way to conquer the snake.

Sid was perfectly fine just riding in silence but her companion felt quite the opposite. He had jabbered on and on about his journey with his nakama. Even though his stories were not told in correct order and he often glazed over a lot of the details, Sid was able to somewhat piece together everything and she even found the stories enjoyable.

"So that's what pirates do?" she asked, "They just go from island to island and have adventures?"

"Yep!" Luffy said. His back was turned to her but she could hear the grin in his voice.

"And...you and your nakama are trying to find this one thing?"

"One Piece," Luffy corrected.

"Right…" Sid said with a nod, "And whoever gets it, gets to be the King of Pirates."

"Yep!"

"Why do you want to be the King of Pirates? Because you want to be the strongest?"

Luffy shrugged. "I don't want to be the strongest. I just want freedom."

Sid chuckled. "Don't we all…?"

"You want the One Piece too? Shishishishi. That's going to make you my rival!"

"Ha. No. I have no intention of becoming a pirate, let alone become the king or whatever. I just meant that everyone wants to do whatever they please with nothing holding them back," Sid replied, "No war. No obligations. No fighting."

"Eh?" Luffy's head tilted to the side, "If you don't like fighting then why are you doing it?"

"Why indeed…" Sid mused, "I wish I could say it's because I want to do it for my ancestors. To bring honor to them and to light the fires of Shandora but...at this point I'm just doing it to settle things once in for all. Go in, reclaim the homeland, and not have to deal with it any more. It's like I'm waging my own personal duel against my ancestors."

"Shishishishi. You're kinda like old diamond-head, then."

"Who?"

"The old guy that helped us get up to the sky. He's been looking for the city of gold for a long time because he's related to that liar guy."

Sid sat up a little straighter. Maybe during this brief journey together Sid had learned how to understand Luffy or maybe an ancestor was watching over them and gave her a spark of understanding to what this Blue Sea person was saying. "That liar you are speaking of! What was his name?"

"Eh...I...don't remember...It was like...No...Noman. Norman?"

"You mean...Noland?"

"Oh! Yeah! Noland the liar!"

Sid's eyes widened and she almost fell off the horse.  _Montblanc Noland...his descendants...They are still looking for us! I need to tell Wyper!_

"Ohhh, hang on!" Luffy cried, jolting Sid from her thoughts. He stuck a hand over his hat and held it firmly in place as the road started to angle upwards into a steep slope. Pierre's wings extended when it was getting closer to a vertical angle and they flew to the top.

In the dim light, Sid could see the road below become less stone and more muscle and tissue. They were getting closer to the end of the snake's throat and towards the mouth. She dug her heels into Pierre's sides when she saw the backs of it's sharp teeth. "There! Pierre! Fly forward! That's the mouth!"

"Pierre!"

"Yosh...Gum-Gum-" Luffy said as he pulled back his fist and began to wind up his arm.

Sid grabbed his fist and held it still. "Wait! Don't touch it's teeth or tongue! It's coated in it's venom!"

"EH?! How are we supposed to open it's mouth if we can't touch it?" Luffy protested.

Sid pointed upwards. "The roof of its mouth. Punch that. The venom is only in the bottom of the mouth."

"How do you know that? Are you some sort of snake specialist?"

Sid shrugged. "No. It's in some old healer books about the use of snake venom. You extract it from the-"

"Here I go!"

"Are you even listening to me?!"

_Bonk!_

Luffy's fist sailed up into the darkness and clocked the snake smartly at the top of his mouth. The entire head moved upwards and then when it landed, the jaw fell open and a burst of light flooded over the group.

"An opening! Go! Go! Go!" Sid shouted as she lightly kicked Pierre in the sides. Her eyes were squinted almost to a complete close from being in the dark for too long but she did not want to waste another second in captivity.

They swooped out of the snake's mouth and Sid's sight adjusted just as Pierre's hooves hit the stone ground. She blinked a couple times and then looked around her. The snake's head was resting on top of a stone building. It had scorch marks all over it.  _Did Wyper finally burn it with his bazooka?,_ she wondered.

"WAHHHHHH!"

Luffy screamed victoriously as he sprinted up the stairs of another building. Sid's eyes followed the rubber boy to the very top. With every step he took, realization sank further and further into Sid's heart. Seeing how tall and complete not just that building was but all the other buildings standing beside and behind it, there was no denying it. Her heart rose to her throat while her feet felt heavy and weighted down onto the cobble stoned street.  _Shan...Shandora!_

"So, what is this place? This isn't the ruins, right?" Luffy yelled from the top, "Sid! Come look! Do you think the bell is here?"

The mention of the bell was like a wake up call for Sid and she scrambled up the stairs. She made it in less time than the rubber boy with the help of her wavers. She grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around so he was looking only at her and not their surroundings. "Luffy. That bell...That bell has been a closely guarded secret that no one knows beyond the Chief, myself, and Wyper...How do  _you_  know about the bell?" she demanded.

"It was in that book old diamond-head gave us. The liar's diary or something," Luffy said with a grin, "It said it was a really big bell...So if I ring it, the old diamond-head would be able to hear it from below, right?"

"You...You want to...ring the bell for Noland's descendant to hear?"

"Yep. So where is it?" Luffy asked, "Do you know?"

Sid's hands dropped to her sides and she looked thoughtfully at the boy. This Blue Sea person had no business being here. No reason to take part in any of this and yet somehow it seemed both of them were after similar things.

"I don't know where it is," she admitted, "But...I will help you look for it. Part of the reason Wyper and I are fighting so hard to take back Shandora is for that bell."

"Shishishishi, okay but I call ringing it!" he said and shot up a hand for emphasis, "Dibs! You can't ring it when we find it! I called it!"

Sid snorted. "I don't know what you mean by 'dibs' but you can ring it if you want. I don't care as long as it's rung."

"Yahoo!" Luffy cheered and drew back his hand only to punch it into the air again. He turned to face the city again and he planted his hands on his hips. "Yosh! Let's go find the…"

His voice trailed off along with his grin and enthusiasm. He had spotted a huge burnt hole in the center of the street in front of them. Despite the amount of vines and plants that grew over the lost city, he still managed to spot a distinctly green head of hair lying near it. Without another thought he jumped off the building, not even bothering to take the stairs. As soon as his sandaled feet hit the street, he went into a dead sprint. When he got closer to the hole, he noticed the bodies of two more of his nakama but he did not change his target one bit.

"Oy! Zoro!" he shouted when he approached the fallen swordsman. Luffy grabbed Zoro by the shoulders and shook him, hoping to bring him into consciousness. His whole body looked burnt and there was crusting blood down one side of his head, "What're you doing?! How could this happen when you were here?"

He looked around frantically to see if there was anyone else nearby. Anyone that was familiar.

"Pierre!" The bird-horse's shriek grabbed the boy's attention and he saw the steed running in frantic circles around the fallen knight, who looked in similar shape as everyone else.

"Wait...Where's Nami?" he asked, "Where's-"

"AISA?! BOO?!" The panicked scream of the Shandian warrior interrupted the rubber boy and he saw the just the top of Sid's brown hair in the center of the hole. She let out a shrill whistle over and over again until she was practically breathless but nothing came out of the woodwork. No cloud. No sheep. No child. "No...No...No…"

Luffy went over to the edge of the hole just in time to see Sid sink to her knees. Her hands went to her fellow warrior, who looked the worst out of everyone here. Blood coated his mouth and chin. His burns were the most severe and seemed to encase all of his body. Sid shakily moved her hands to the side of Wyper's face. "Even you...Wyper? Even you?"

"S-S-Sid? L...Luffy? Is that you?"

Sid shot to her feet and turned towards the familiar timid voice while Luffy watched Aisa slowly peek out from behind a nearby building. The ends of her hair were frizzled and there were small patches of burns on her cheeks and neck but compared to the others, she was practically in mint condition. When her eyes fell on the rubber boy, they started to water and she raced forward. In her hand, she clutched a blackened cloud that was sparking every now and then with blue light. "SID! LUFFY!"

"Aisa?!" Sid jumped out of the hole to meet the girl halfway and Aisa ran straight into the healer. The child buried the top of her head in Sid's torso and cried into her blouse.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! Boo...Boo tried to protect me but...but Enel...he...he…"

"Enel…" Sid drew in a shaky breath, "Aisa. Why didn't you come out when I called for you? Don't scare me like that, Aisa!"

"I...can't really hear from a distance," Aisa whimpered, "I hid inside Boo and when Enel attacked...It...it made my ears ring really loudly and it's affecting my Mantra."

"Is it still ringing now?" Sid asked as she knelt down to be eye level of the child.

When Aisa nodded, Sid reached out and cupped Aisa's ears with her palms. Her fingers wrapped around the back of the child's head. The healer flicked her index fingers off of the side of her middle fingers to lightly thump against Aisa's skull. After a few hard taps, Sid moved her hands away.

"Better?" Sid asked.

Aisa's eyes widened. "All gone! How did you-"

"Old healer's trick," Sid said and then her hands moved down to take the blackened skysheep from Aisa's care, "Now use your Mantra and tell me...where's Enel?"


	8. A Natural Defense

"What?! How is that possible?!" Sid gasped while Aisa and Pierre stood mouths opened behind her.

The Shandians and the horse-bird hybrid cowered near the wall of a cave that Aisa had directed them to. It was deep in the heart of Upper Yard and nowhere Sid had ever been to. Enel had hid his Divine Soldiers here to work on something and now that something was complete and stood tall in front of them. It was the largest ship Sid had ever seen with shiny, yellow, metallic embellishments. She had tried to keep as quiet as she could when her, Aisa, Pierre, and Luffy entered the cave to find Enel. Sid didn't have much of a plan but she knew it was best to stealth in and try to catch the false god by surprise but one of her companions had other plans.

Luffy had rushed in, demanding Enel to reveal himself. Sid had no choice but to hurriedly push Aisa and Pierre towards the wall, behind a wooden support beam. Instead of attacking, she had to switch priorities to being the protector and wait for an opening for Aisa and Pierre to flee. Boo was currently sleeping in Sid's bag to recuperate but every once in awhile, Sid could hear sounds of soft zapping coming in his direction. At least now she knew where that came from.

Enel revealed his powers to be that of lightning, courtesy of a Devil Fruit, which explained the state of Wyper and the other Blue Sea people. Given that he didn't hold back even with Boo and Aisa, it wasn't a shock that he was more than happy to wield it on Luffy.

Enel engulfed Luffy in a bright, blue bolt of lightning and in that moment, Sid was sure he was a goner. However, Luffy was able to get on the ship without any trouble. Enel had concluded that Luffy had managed to evade his attack but Sid wasn't so sure.

Then, her suspicions were confirmed when Enel launched another bolt of lighting, this time hitting Luffy square on. Again, however, instead of resembling their fallen comrades left at Shandora, Luffy stood tall and practically unscathed. Even Enel, the self-proclaimed god, was completely thrown off and Sid knew, by the look of sheer horror and shock on his face, he was the most surprised by this outcome than anyone else in the cave.

"Ahhhhh!" Luffy roared as he ran straight for Enel and landed a hard kick to the stomach. Enel doubled over in pain, with tears, saliva, and soon blood flying out of his face.

"Ehh?! He was able to kick Enel?!" Aisa shrieked and that sound snapped Sid back to attention.

_This is the opening!_

"Aisa!" she gasped and turned to face the child. She picked up the child and placed her on Pierre, "Go! Now!"

"What?"

"Aisa! Focus! The deal was for you to bring us here. That was it. You've done enough. Now go before you get hurt! Take Boo with you too," Sid hissed. She dug into her bag and thrust a still-sleeping Boo into Aisa's arms. Then she clamped her hands on the sides of Pierre's face, "Pierre! Take them back to Shandia. You've been there before with Gan Fall. You know the way. Go. Do not stop for anyone or anything. Do you understand? Don't even listen to Aisa. Get her out of here."

"But Sid-" Aisa started to protest but Sid gave a hard smack on Pierre's butt and sent the horse racing out of the cave. As soon as she couldn't hear anymore hoof beats, she skated towards the ship with her wavers. She jumped over the side and landed right next to Nami, who didn't even react to her sudden arrival. She was too transfixed at her captain and the man he had just taken down.

"Oy," Sid said and gave a light rap to Nami's shoulder with her knuckles, "Why aren't Enel's attacks working?"

"Lightning..." Nami gulped, "Lightning doesn't conduct through rubber. Since Luffy is a rubber person..it seems…" Her voice dropped to an awed whisper. "Luffy is Enel's natural opponent. He is the one and only person in the world Enel's powers won't work against."

"Again, what is this rubber?!" Sid demanded.

Nami's eyes widened and she looked at Sid, as if seeing her for the first time, "That's right...You guys don't know what rubber is. It must not exist on the White-White Sea."

"Why not? Where does it come from?" Sid asked.

"It comes from a rubber tree."

"A tree?!"

"Gum-Gum...WHIP!"

"Mantra!"

Luffy's extended leg came swinging across the fake god, who closed his eyes and easily avoided the blow by disappearing in a spark of blue light, only to reappear on the other side of the deck the same way.

"Spear!" Luffy shouted, back flipping to his hands and shooting out his clamped feet towards Enel, who again flashed out of the way.

Nami's whole body broke into a sweat. "He's predicting Luffy's moves perfectly."

"Mantra…" Sid growled as Enel started to whack Luffy around the deck with heavy blows from his metal staff.

Luffy slammed against the wall of metal and Enel thrust the base of his staff at Luffy's throat, pinning the captain's head back. The fake god lifted the captain up into the air. Luffy's sandals fell to the deck below and his bare feet dangled in the air while his throat remained crushed under the staff.

"Don't push your luck," Enel said, "Lightning can do more than send electrical shocks. Once I know it won't work, I'll fight accordingly."

"Luffy!" Sid gasped. She was about to make an attempt to save him from getting choked but then was stopped by Nami.

"Wait. It's fine."

"What do you mean it's fine? Do you not care about your captain at all?!"

Sid's question was answered right then when Luffy grabbed the staff and yanked it away from his throat. He only dangled under the staff for a breath before swinging his leg out and towards Enel. "Physical attacks won't work on me!" he screamed just as Enel disappeared in a flash of light again.

"Lightning doesn't work. Physical attacks won't work, either...Just what is this rubber?" Enel asked, voicing aloud Sid's own inner thoughts. He then lifted his staff horizontally in front of him. "Grom Puddling!"

"Eh?!" Sid and Nami watched with widened eyes while Enel used his power to shape his staff into a sharp trident.

"See if this won't work!" Enel shouted, lunging forward at the captain.

"Ah!" Luffy yelped. He leapt to the top of the ship, barely the tips of the trident.

"As I thought," Enel laughed, "Slashing attacks are your weakness."

"Yeah," Luffy admitted, which did not go over well with both Sid and Nami.

"Don't tell  _him_ that!" they seethed.

Luffy jumped off of the top and reared his arms back. "Gum-Gum...Gatlin-"

Enel didn't even wait for his opponent this time. He disappeared again and this time, he did not reappear right away.

"LUFFY! Behind you!" Sid cried as a stream of blue lightning came streaking up the yellow metal.

"He's moving through the gold!" Nami gasped.

"Gold? What is gold?" Sid demanded.

Nami did not answer. She could only watch in fear as Enel formed out of the yellow metal with his trident at the ready. He shot out of the wall and towards Luffy, who grabbed the staff but let out a painful cry at the same time.

"Ahhhhh!"

Sid saw three droplets of the yellow metal fall down from where the captain was dangling and when they landed onto the deck, they became sizzling drops of blood. "Did he get him?" Sid cried.

"OW! It's hot!" Luffy roared with both hands clenched tightly around the staff.

"Yahahaha," Enel laughed, "So even if electricity doesn't shock you, the electric heat that builds up on the trident is different, huh?"

"Gum-Gum!" Luffy yelled, fighting through the searing pain in his hands and kicking up one foot high into the air, "Battle Axe!"

Even if Enel sensed his attack, he had nowhere to run since Luffy was still holding tightly to his weapon. He brought his foot down, sending the fake god hurtling down to the ship. He landed with a harsh crash, going through the deck but he didn't stay down for long.

"How dare you, you brat!" Enel seized, poking his head out of the hole he created.

"Gum-Gum...Gatling!" Luffy shouted as he fell back down to the deck.

A cloud of his punching fists came down in a barrage but Enel's mantra was ready for him. Enel smirked and grabbed Luffy by the wrist. He took advantage of the extended limbs and used it to whip Luffy downward, causing him to crash just as hard as he did.

"It's not like you grew multiple arms," Enel scoffed.

"Luffy!" Sid and Nami gasped.

Enel's eyes moved towards them and he twirled his trident in his hand. "I'm God, so I'll do everything as I please. I will create a world that I see fit. I won't let some clueless Blue Sea brat that suddenly showed up get in my way….or you, Shandian..."

Sid's jaws clenched and she instinctively made a grab for her spear but that only seemed to amuse Enel. He raised an eyebrow and his smirk widened. 'Do you dare try what others have failed?"

Sid's mind raced for any possible outcome that would have her survive getting hit by lightning but nothing came to mind. Even if she knew or had whatever this magical rubber was, she wouldn't know the first thing about using it. Defense aside, she didn't even have the proper offense. Physical attacks wouldn't work on him. It was one thing to fight a man, with bones and muscles that functioned normally but Enel was no man.

"What was it that you promised that old man this morning?" Enel taunted and rubbed his chin.

Sid stiffened. Her mind went blank and she dropped her spear. "What...what did you say?"

"That's right. You promised him you would win the war  _and_ come back alive. Yahahhaha," Enel laughed, "How did you plan on doing that? You couldn't even save any of the other Shandians. They all dropped like flies."

His smirk than turned into a disgusted sneer. "I thought you all would put up more of a fight. How disappointing."

For a split second, all Sid could see was red and that was all the time she needed to lapse on her judgement.

"Die, you false god!" Sid cried as she skated forward with her waver and jumped in mid-air, launching herself skates first at Enel.

He caught her by the ankle and he laughed right in her face, while her skate was only mere inches away from him. "HA! Let me guess. Sea Prism Stone in your skates like the other one?" he crowed as flickers of lightning passed through his hand, casually burning her skin and sending shockwaves through her legs.

"What does your mantra tell you?" Sid said through gritted teeth as she pulled back her arm.

Enel cocked his head to the side and then his smirk vanished. He didn't even have time to widen his eyes as Sid sent a hard punch across his face with one of Wyper's skate in her hand.

_Thwack!_

"Gahhhh!" Blood spurted out of his mouth and nose and he let go of Sid. She dropped to the ground and instinctively curled her leg toward her. A nasty burn mark was around her ankles and her muscles were spasming all around her body, but most violently in her calf and thigh. She couldn't endure the pain any longer and she doubled over, with Wyper's skate rolling to the side.

"You are no man..," she panted, "But you are no god, either. God's don't bleed."

"Why you…" Enel snarled. He tapped a drum behind him with his trident and it started to glow bright blue. "30 Million Volt...Hino!"

"SID!" Nami screamed.

The electrical energy from the drum shot out and towards Sid in the shape of a fierce bird, bigger than Pierre in horse form. Sid shut her eyes and braced for her inevitable demise.  _I'm sorry, old man._

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sid screamed as electricity ripped through her body. Her body tensed and weakened simultaneously. Agonizing pain and complete numbness oscillated within her so rapidly, she couldn't breathe in the smell of smoking flesh.

Sid was already unconscious by the time the last of the light died out. She lied face down with her arms and legs out on the deck.

"Oh no…" Nami whimpered.

"SIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDD!" Aisa's shriek pierced through the air, bouncing along the rock walls.

Nami ran to the edge of the ship, watching as the little girl and the horse-bird came galloping back with a still-sparking black Boo hovering just above their heads. "Aisa! What are you doing back here?!"

One of Sid's fingers twitched on the deck.

Aisa bit her lip. "I...I couldn't leave. Not like this...Not without Sid..and Wyper...and...and everyone else."

"Yahahaha," Enel laughed, "Then stay if you want and watch the fall of this nation together with the rest of us."

He walked up some golden steps to what seemed like a throne to Nami. He had two large golden orbs flanking the sides of the throne. He placed his hands on them and smirked.

"Don't tell me…" Nami gasped.

"Max 200 million Volt Vaari!" he roared as electricity shot out of his hands and powered through the ship. The ship started to shake violently and the propellers all around the ships began to spin with just as much force. The ship rose off the ground and made its way up towards the roof of the cave.

"This is bad...This is bad…This is bad…" Nami chanted to herself, "We have to escape!"

"Sid! Luffy! Nami! What should we do?!" Aisa cried from below.

"Behold! The ark that will take me to the land without end, the Endless Vearth! Maxim!" Enel yelled victoriously.

Just then, Luffy pulled himself out of his hole and stood back up on the deck.

"Luffy! Hurry up and beat Enel!" Nami cried and then her hands went to her face, "Ahhh! W-Wait a second. If we defeat Enel, that means this ship is going to fall. Ahhh! But if we don't defeat him, he'll destroy the sky island...But then if we stay here, we'll be taken somewhere."

The highest propellers reached the roof of the cave. Rock and debris fell down onto the deck as the ark carved it's way upwards.

"What're we gonna do, Luffy?!" Nami wailed.

Luffy took the straw hat from his head and tossed it at Nami.

"Don't get so rattled," Luffy said, "You're a friend of the future King of Pirates. Don't show such a pitiful face."

Another one of Sid's fingers twitched.

"King of Pirates? What area does this king govern?" Enel asked from his throne.

"He's the great king of the seas," Luffy declared.

"Oh, how impressive," Enel smirked. The propellers cut through the last bit of the roof and sunlight flooded onto the deck, "Why don't we settle things in the sky?"

Once the propellers were done with the earth, it worked on the trees that loomed overhead. The branches snapped and cracked around them while the wildlife fled their homes with vocal terror.

All five fingers on Sid's right hand bent and stayed there.

"Yahahah. The circuit it to the ultimate feature on this ark is already open and functioning," Enel boasted.

"Ultimate feature?" Nami repeated.

"It's name is Deathpiea. It's despair, the savior of the world…" Enel said cryptically,

"Now...Deathpiea...ACTIVATE!"

A low hissing sound came from above followed by plumes of black smoke coming out of the golden chimney at the top of the ark. It darkened the sky and made no signs of fading away.

"Are those...Are those clouds?!" Nami gasped.

"That's right. Those are thunderclouds," Enel replied, "With my energy, Deathpiea discharges thunderclouds that have extremely turbulent currents. Soon, the clouds will cover all of Skypiea while the energy collects. On my signal, they'll produce dozens of thunderbolts and destroy everything in the nation. The pathetic hideout the Shandians call a village as well."

Sid's entire right arm moved closer to her side and from beneath the split in her sleeve, a patch of black appeared on her skin.

"For example…" Enel continued. He pointed up at the sky and shot a thin string of electricity up towards the cloud. The cloud answered with a crack of thunder and a shot of lightning a million times stronger off into the distance.

"What did you just do?" Nami asked the fake god.

"I...teased the angels a little," Enel smirked.

"You think it's okay for a god to destroy everything?!" Luffy demanded.

"That's right. Lives...and land as well. Now I'll eliminate you. The preparation for the party have already begun." Enel shouted. He thrust his trident forward, which Luffy quickly sidestepped. The pirate swung his leg at Enel but the fake god blocked his attack with just as much ease.

Enel lunged again with his trident. This time, Luffy instinctively blocked the prongs but stepping directly on the flattened surface, pinning it to the ground.

"HOOOOT!" Luffy shouted, jerking his foot back. Steam was coming off of it and the bottom of his foot was glowing bright red.

"Yahahah," Enel laughed, "This is a highly charged spear."

Again and again, Enel jabbed at Luffy with his trident and the captain had no choice but just leap out of the way. Luffy was purely on defense now.

"Damn it. Isn't there some way I can counter that 'predicting movements' thing?" Luffy asked just as the trident came forward again.

_Thwack._

"What?!" Enel gasped as a blackened hand held tightly onto the staff.

"SID?!" Luffy and Nami shouted as the Shandian stood in between Luffy and Enel with no signs of letting go of the heated instrument, despite heavy steam seeping out from between her fingers.

Her entire body was black including her wings and her face. The only color seemed to come from her eyes and they were mostly white since her pupils had contracted to the size of pins.

"With my ancestors as a witness, I will protect Shandia," Sid said and took a swing at Enel, who had no choice but to release his weapon and jump back away from the punch, "Even if that means protecting a person of the Blue Sea. LUFFY!"

"Ah! Yeah?" Luffy asked, immediately straightening up his posture and standing at attention.

"Use me as your shield."

* * *

_-the Shandian Village-_

"Aisa! Aisa! Has anyone seen my Aisa? Is she in your tent? Please. Somebody help me look. Aisa!"

Chief Urepo broke his gaze from the statue of Cagara and looked over just as Aisa's mother came running up to him. She grabbed the front of his shirt with both trembling hands. "Chief Urepo! Please help. My Aisa...I haven't seen her since this morning and...and...and…I fear...I fear she's gone into the bat...battlefi-..battle-"

Harsh sobs punctuated her sentence and broke off any remnants of whatever words were left. The chief wrapped his strong, coarse hands over the woman's fist and held it in a firm, reassuring grip. "There is no doubt in my mind that Aisa is at Upper Yard." His hold tightened before the woman could interrupt or, worse, collapse, "But do not worry. I also have no doubt that Sid will be with her. As long as Sid is there, Aisa will be fine."

"How...how do you know that? You can't be sure!" Aisa's aunt demanded as she finally caught up with her sister. She wrapped a protective arm around Aisa's mother, "Even if Sid is a great healer and a great warrior, she's up against  _Enel_! Even if he is a false god, he still has god-like abilities that we have not been able to defeat since his arrival! We need to send someone to go grab Aisa and bring her back!"

Aisa's mother's legs gave out and she fell to her knees with another sob. However, the chief kept her hands in his and he calmly brought himself to the ground with her. "Enel is not the only one who is blessed with a divine gift."

"You think God's Voice is going to help? Even if Aisa could control her power, hearing voices won't keep her safe from Enel's wrath!" Aisa's aunt refuted.

"True," Urepo said, "But I was talking about Sid."

"Eh?" The Shandians within earshot of this conversation stopped their jabbering and gave the Chief their full attention.

"Sid can also use God's Voice?!" Aisa's aunt demanded, "Since when?!"

"Not God's Voice...An even rarer blessing that hasn't appeared in this tribe in many generations. Truth be told, I've only seen signs of it within Sid when she was much, much younger, but I have no doubt that now is the time, she will fully embrace it," Urepo said. He gave Aisa's mother a squeeze and waited until she looked up and gave him her full attention, "God's Armor will protect your daughter."


	9. A Second Chance

 

 

 

 

 

No matter how hard Enel tried to get his trident back, Sid managed to keep it in her possession until, in a moment of desperation and panic, she had no choice but to throw it over the edge. With every throw of a lightning bolt, Luffy would intervene and take it for her but even on the few that did hit her, the effects of it seemed to disappear with the steam it created.

Without his weapon, Enel was at a disadvantage against Luffy but even then, there was the huge hurdle of landing a punch on him due to his Mantra ability. However, it was a hurdle that took little time for the Blue Sea pirate to get over. He stretched his arms longer than Sid had ever seen them go and flung his fists straight into the metal walls of the ark. They ricocheted off of the hard surface and flew behind him in every direction. Without Luffy controlling where his punches went, Enel's Mantra gave him no indication of how to avoid them.

Punch after punch came at Enel from every angle and soon the fake god was on his knees.

"I won't let you get away anymore!" Luffy roared, turning to face Enel directly and running at him at full speed.

"Wait...Wait just a minute," Enel protested as Sid came up from behind him, hauled him up to his feet, and held him in a full nelson.

"Don't worry about me," Sid said to Luffy despite the small shocks of blue energy emitting from Enel's skin, "Give him all you got."

"Gum-Gum….Bazooka!" Luffy yelled.

His fists hit Enel hard directly in the stomach and as soon as Sid let go of him, he doubled over with his eyes rolled to the back of his head and blood dribbling out of his mouth.

"Hmm," Sid sniffed. She made a point to step over the fallen god and then nodded at the Blue Sea pirate, "All you now. He's not going anywhere."

"Ah," Luffy nodded and then ran backwards to the wall, keeping his eyes on his target, "Gum-Gum…"

Enel's head looked up. Sid had no doubt his Mantra was screaming at him for what's to come but there was nothing he could do.

"RIFLE!" Luffy screamed. With just one punch, he sent Enel spinning and flying towards the golden wall. He landed hard even managed to create a minor dent in it.

"You did it! You defeated Enel!" Nami cheered while Sid's blackened skin receded and she returned to normal.

It was the healer's turn to fall to her knees and both she and Luffy were heavily out of breath.

"Who knew it was this hard to sustain this?" Sid panted.

"Sid! What was that?! What did you do? Was that some sort of dial or something?" Nami asked as she rushed over to help her back on her feet.

"We call it God's Armor...It's something I once used as a kid but...that was only once...No matter how hard I tried I could never get it back...until now," Sid said in between labored breaths.

"Does that mean you can control it now?" Nami asked.

"I...don't know," Sid said with a grin.

"What?! Why are you saying it like that's a good thing?!"

"Because I know how much it bothers you that I don't know."

"What?! Why you…" Nami said. She let go of Sid and was crestfallen to find that the healer had regained her footing and could stand just as well without her. Of course that only made the healer's mood that much better.

"Now that's done, how do we get down?" Sid asked, peering over the edge and looking down at the trees.

"Wait! More importantly, why are we still up?!" Nami demanded, "The engines should've stopped when Enel went down!"

"Oh no," Sid murmured. She whirled around to face her fears.

Enel slowly pushed himself up to standing position. "You...you fools," he coughed, "Is that all you've got? Once you're gone, the world will be mine. Once again, everyone will fear me, worship me, and revere me. This is my world and you vermin are no match for me! To me...nothing is impossible! I am the Almighty God!"

Whatever air he was breathing seemed to be vastly different from Sid's because he regained his strength with every pause in his sentence.

"Feast your eyes, rubber boy, on the falling island's despair," he taunted, "Listen, Shandian, to the cries of your people."

Sid's fist clenched and her skin started to turn black again but it didn't go any further than her knuckles before retrieving back to its normal state.  _I...I need to stop him...Please...Great Warrior Cagara...Grandmother...Someone...help me bring God's Armor back..._

"The lives of the angels will be terminated. No one can stop it any longer. Of course, that includes you!" Enel continued. He raised his hand, covering it with sparking electricity.

"Stop it!" Luffy clenched his fist once more and ran towards Enel, who smirked and put his hand behind him.

"Grom Puddling!" Enel yelled. He melted the metal behind him using electric heat and then molded it into a golden ball right in front of him. It happened so fast that Luffy couldn't even pull back in any way. His fist went right through the center of the hot metal.

"LUFFY!" Sid and Nami cried.

"HOOOT! OW! Damn it. It burns! AHHHHH!" Luffy screamed. He fell the ground and his whole body writhed with pain while he tried to pull his arm out of the metal, which had already hardened, "It doesn't come off! Dammit!"

"Yahahhaha," Enel laughed as he walked over to Luffy, "In honor of the good fight you put, I'll give you this gold."

"What?" Luffy asked.

With a hard kick to the ball, Enel sent it sailing right over the edge of the ship. The weight and force of the ball was too much for the rubber boy and even though his arm continued to stretch behind him, he was pulled right to the side of the ship, no matter how hard he fought against it.

"AHHHHHHH!" Luffy roared. He threw his free hand over the side and used all his strength to keep himself upright and on the ship.

"Yahaha. Once I get rid of you," Enel laughed, "The world will be mine just as it was before. There will be no one in the world who can defeat me!"

"No one in the world?" Luffy repeated with sweat dripping down his face, "There are lots who can! In the Blue Sea, there are tons of monstrous fighters. Someone like you is-"

"Enough!" Enel yelled. He came at Luffy with lightning speed and used the force of it to punch the railing right under Luffy's arm.

"Someone like you is-," LUffy tried again as the railing splintered into bits and sent him tumbling out of the ship.

"LUFFY!" Sid and Nami screamed.

"Damn you!" Luffy's voice echoed through the air.

"He should be fine, right? Cause of that..rubber thing?" Sid hissed at Nami.

Nami nodded numbly while she clutched Luffy's hat to her chest. "Ah...The fall shouldn't hurt him but…"

"THAT'S LUFFY! Boo! Horsey-Bird! Luffy's falling!"

"Son of a-" Sid growled as she raced towards the railing and poked her head over the edge. "AISA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?!"

The little girl seemed to shrink even smaller against the glare of the healer but she kept her hold on Pierre's neck firm while a now awakened Boo was draped on her shoulder. Then she gulped and looked defiantly up at Sid. "I...I AM A WARRIOR!"

"Ugh…" Sid slumped against the railing, "Your teenage rebellion phase is going to be a real delight…"

"So that's who it was...that sly voice I've been hearing…" Enel said, finally locking eyes with the Shandian child.

"Luffy! We're coming to save you!" Aisa shrieked as she and Pierre swooped forward towards the falling rubber boy.

"How annoying. You're wasting your time!" Enel jeered. He rapped his knuckle against the drum behind him.

"Oh no!" Nami gasped as she joined Sid at the railing, "Aisa! Pierre! DODGE IT!"

"God's Judgement!" Enel cried.

Sid took a deep breath. "Please, ancestors...Just...one more time...That's all I ask…Let me protect them."

"Eh?" Nami turned to face the healer but the healer was already stepping onto the railing and taking a big leap over the edge. "SID?!"

Sid kept her arms pinned to her side, streamlining her fall and she reached Aisa, Pierre, and Boo within a second. She wrapped her now blackened body around Aisa and firmly tucked Boo below her chin. "Got you!"

"EL THOR!" Enel yelled as he struck them down with lightning so thick and powerful, it was more a pillar of energy than a mere bolt.

* * *

- _The Shandian Village-_

"Abandon the village?! What are you saying, Chief?!" a tribal man demanded, "What about the warriors? They're still not back from Upper Yard!"

"There is no need to wait for them," Chief Urepo replied.

"What?" his people gasped.

"But...But your own granddaughter is out there!" someone else protested.

"And she's got a good head on her shoulders, along with the rest of them," Chief Urepo said, "Those warriors are not children. They will avoid their own dangers on their own. Have faith in them."

He tightened his hold on his staff and he thumped it for emphasis. "We need to focus on us here. You heard the warnings from the Skypieans and you saw those ominous clouds. Most likely Enel will destroy us along with Skypiea. No doubt he intends to repeat here what he did to his own homeland of Birka. Now hurry and set sail! Focus on keeping  _these_  people alive!"

His people gulped, looked at each other, and then scattered in every direction.

Chief Urepo casted a long look at the statue of Cagara.  _It's all over...Wyper...Sid...It's all right. You did everything you could._

He lowered his gaze and headed towards the center of the village.

"Ah! Chief. Aren't you going to evacuate too?" a young teenage boy asked when he passed by.

Chief Urepo nodded solemnly. "I'll leave when everyone else has. In the meantime, I'm going to collect a few things."

"But...But your tent is in the other direction."

Chief Urepo let out a rare smile. "Not for me...For Sid."

* * *

"Horsey-Bird! Sid! Horsey-Bird! Sid! I'm so sorry! You guys hurt yourself from protecting me! Wake up...Please...wake up!" Aisa cried. She ran from body to body while a blackened Boo floated in frantic circles around her head, "Horsey-Bird! Sid!"

Sid winced and she slowly sat up from the rubble. Her whole body ached in a way she never thought humanly possible. Her body felt numb but her other senses seemed to be heightened to a sensitive degree. The sun was too bright. The smell of dirt was too stifling and the sounds...Oh, the sounds...

"SID!" Aisa cried, which made Sid flinch.

"Ugh...I'm glad I don't have God's Voice. Hearing just you is enough to give me a migraine," Sid groaned as Boo shoved himself between her neck and her chin and began to rub himself frantically against her, "I'm fine, Boo...I'm fine…"

"What happened to you?" Aisa cried, "You turned all black when you were in the sky and then...and then it disappeared when we landed. What was that?"

That made Sid smirk despite how much it ached her whole face just by that slight movement. "You're not the only person with a divine power."

"Huh?"

"It's called God's Armor, Aisa," Sid said and then her smirk turned into a genuine smile, "And I think I just got the hang of it."

"Aisa! Sid?! " Luffy shouted from a distance, "Anybody?!"

"Luffy? You're alive?!" Aisa called out, "Where are you?"

"Here! Over here! Hey! Help me! Here! Over here!"

"You go first," Sid groaned and waved Aisa off, "I'll be there in a second."

"What about Horsey-Bird?" Aisa asked tearfully.

"AISAAAA! I'm over here!" Luffy cried.

Sid rolled her eyes, which somehow managed to cause her eye sockets to ache. "You go to Luffy. I'll tend to 'Horsey-Bird', alright?"

"Okay," Aisa said with a hesitant nod and then ran to the still screaming Blue Sea captain.

Sid dragged herself closer to the horse and put two fingers to it's pulse. She held it there for a minute and then lifted her hand. "Okay. Piere's still alive. My work is done."

She leaned back against the rubble, ignoring any jagged stones jutting into her back. Her body was already so uncomfortable that any additional annoyance could be ignored. She stared up at her surroundings and stifled a disappointed groan when she realized she was right back where they had started. At the cave where the ark was built.

_Well, at least I'm in Shandora._

Boo laid down on her chest and blinked his big eyes at her. "Boo..." he said softly.

"I know…" Sid sighed as she scratched him behind the horns, "You didn't want to leave me behind. I get it."

"Oy! Sid! C'mon!"

Sid didn't even bother to sit back up. She kept her eyes right up at the darkening skies. "What do you want, Luffy?"

"C'mon! We gotta get to Robin and that big vine!" Luffy shouted, "I know where Enel is going and I'm going to stop him."

"And save Nami!" Aisa added.

"Annnnd Round 2 starts right now…" Sid sighed. She sucked in a breath and sat back up, ignoring the screaming pain shooting down her spine. Her hand moved and it bumped into something hard and warm. She looked down and saw Enel's trident resting next to her.

"Boo!"

Boo expanded to the size of a mattress and floated right by Sid's hand. Sid smiled. She picked up Enel's trident and draped herself over the sheep. "Thanks, Boo," she said as he floated up in the air with her.

"You're taking that?" Luffy asked, eyeing the trident.

Sid shrugged. "MIght come in handy. Alright. Let's go, Luffy. Towards Wyper and the others, right?"

"What about Horsey-Bird?" Aisa asked.

Sid peered over the edge of her sky sheep and grinned at the child, who did not like her expression at all.

"Wh...what?" Aisa asked quietly.

"You figure it out."

"What?!" Aisa shrieked, "What do you mean?"

"He carried you, didn't he? It's only fair you carry him now."

"But he's too heavy!"

"Then drag him."

"WHAT?!"

Sid's smirk turned into a full on malevolent grin. "Didn't you say you were a warrior? So now I'm treating you like one. An  _adult_  warrior."

Aisa's shoulders slumped and her lower lip jutted out. "You're punishing me for coming back instead of going to the village, aren't you?"

"Hey! Now you're thinking like a warrior. Good for you," Sid said and then returned to laying flat out onto Boo, "Alright. Luffy, you ready? Luffy?"

"Ah! He's gone already!" Aisha yelled.

"Ugh, i knew it was too quiet," Sid sighed and then she scowled when she spotted the rolling golden ball, "OY! LUFFY! YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!"

"Shishishi. Whoops."

Luffy and Aisa ran out of the cave and down the streets of the lost city with Sid and Boo flying over them. If Sid had even a smidge more energy, she would've looked around her and taken in the sights a bit more but she didn't have anymore to give. Her focus was solely on keeping Luffy from rolling off in another direction.

"Left, Luffy! LEFT! What part of 'left' do you not understand?!" Sid yelled down.

"I'm sorry!" Luffy said, "It's really hard to turn with this giant ball!"

"AH! Watch out!" Aisa warned from behind and safe distance away from the ball, which was starting to bounce.

"What?" Both adults turned to look.

Neither of them were aware that Luffy was running a downward slope and at that angle, the ball's trajectory changed. It bounced higher and faster until it caught up with Luffy and sent him hurtling down the street at a rapid pace.

"AHHHHHH!" Luffy screamed, "It's so fast!"

"Oh no!" Aisa screamed.

"LEFT! TURN LEFT!" Sid yelled.

"Gum-Gum Hook!" Luffy's arm shot out to the side and he grabbed to the edge of the building, hoping it would help veer the ball in the right path. However, the building was not as sturdy as the captain hoped and the brick he held to broke off from the building, "AHHHH!"

The ball barreled through three buildings and sent them crashing into piles of rubble.

_Boom! Boom! Boom!_

"AHH! Don't destroy our hometown!" Aisa and Sid seethed.

"I know but-" Luffy started to protest.

_Boom!_

"Stop!" Aisa yelled.

"Oh, forget it," Sid said and sat up on Boo, "Aisa, if anyone asks, Enel and his priests damaged this town. It was like this when we got here."

"What?!"

_Boom!_

"Just go with it!"

"Okay…"

By the time they reached the heart of the city, where they had left their nakama, Luffy had demolished five different city blocks and Sid's patience had gone down with it. She was fully aware that she was exponentially more outraged than she should be when they realized that Wyper and the others were gone.

"Where the heck did they go?!" Luffy asked.

"They probably went up Giant Jack," Aisa replied quietly.

"Oh. Got it. Let's go then," Luffy said and headed for the vine while Sid hopped off of Boo, went straight to the nearest building, and punched a hole in it.

_Bam!_

"Enel did this, Aisa...Not me...," Sid mumbled angrily. When the girl did not give her usual obedient response, Sid's anger lowered and the healer turned to the girl. "Aisa?"

Aisa stood solemnly at the edge of the crater that Wyper was once at the center of. Pierre was slung over her shoulder and her head was lowered so that her hat covered her eyes. Sid walked over to her while Luffy stopped and looked over at them.

Aisa's jaws clenched tightly together and her lips began to tremble. "S...Sid?"

"Yeah?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she finally looked up at the healer. "Are...are the sky islands going to disappear?"

Sid remained silent while the girl's tears poured out even harder. Sid knew she could easily say that it would all be fine and to tell Aisa not to worry but the words were stuck in her throat. She didn't want to give the child any false hope and she didn't want to tell her anything she didn't believe. She never lied to Aisa before and she didn't plan on starting today.

Instead, Sid turned Aisa towards her, bent down so they were eye level, and then rested a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know, Aisa," Sid admitted point blank, "Enel will probably take the sky islands...and he'll take the village...Hell...he will even take Shandora but guess what?"

"What?" Aisa replied in almost a whisper.

Sid pinched Aisa's cheeks and stretched it to the sides. "He won't take you," Sid said with a grin.

"Owwww," Aisa squealed and then glared at Sid when the healer let go, "Quit playing around, Sid. I'm serious."

"So am I. Now get on Boo and let's go," Sid replied. With that, she stood back up and swiftly lifted Pierre with one hand and tucked him under her arm like he was a bag of rice. She whistled as she walked away from the child and she only stopped when she was just about to pass the Blue Sea pirate, who was watching their exchange solemnly.

She locked eyes with him and matched her expression to his. "To the bell?"

Luffy nodded. "Ah...and Nami."

"Yeah," Sid said and continued on her way, "Her too."


	10. A Fight for Survival

Despite having to drag the giant golden ball behind him, Luffy ran faster than Sid on her wavers. It wasn't because she was tired or because she had to carry Pierre. She was skating as fast as she would even at perfect health and with no additional weight. It was more of a tribute of just how determined the Blue Sea pirate was to get to the false god. He was quite vocal about it too.

"Raaaahhhhhhh!" Luffy roared as he ran up Giant Jack, "Nami! I'm coming to get you. Enel! I won't let you have that golden bell!"

They broke through the cloud layer that hid away Shandora and continued up and around the vine. Once the white clouds disappeared, the sky was replaced with Enel's thunderclouds, which were thicker and blacker than ever before. Rolling thunder reverberated above their heads and it only motivated Sid to move faster. It wasn't until Aisa shouted did Sid and Luffy's eyes move anywhere except forward and upwards.

"Look! Down there! There they are! Stop! Stop!"

Sid and Luffy kept running but they looked over the edge of the vine to see Wyper, Gan Fall and the others, who were all still laid out and unconscious except for one Blue Sea woman.

"Ah! Robin!" Luffy cried when he spotted his nakama.

"Boo, come here," Sid ordered and when Boo got close enough she grabbed Aisa by the back of her dress. Boo bleated out in surprise while Aisa let out a high pitched shriek but Sid ignored all of that and threw the child over the vine, "Go to Wyper! Oy! You down there! Take care of them, will you?"

With that she tossed Pierre over as well. Sid only stopped in her tracks when she heard both Aisa and Luffy scream for very different reasons.

The Blue Sea person had sprouted a net of arms to catch Pierre and Aisa, which freaked the child out. Meanwhile, Luffy's ball had glided over the edge and almost took Luffy clean off the vine if not for Luffy's firm grip. He dangled over the sides with his fingers dug deep into the flesh of the plant. "Sid! Help!"

"Luffy?!" the woman named Robin called up. Her additional arms vanished in a burst of flower petals and she continued to look calmly up at her captain, despite the non-stop screaming from the child.

"She grew hands! HANDS! GYAAAA!"

"Aisa. Shut it!" Sid snapped while she grabbed Luffy's wrist with both hands and started to pull him back up while Boo flew down to give the rubber boy a boost. The child's mouth snapped closed but it only muffled the screaming.

"What's that gold on your arm?" Robin asked.

"Robin! The gold bell is up at the top of this vine, right? Enel's after it, right?!" Luffy shouted.

"If the belfry does exist, it'd have to be there," Robin answered with a nod, "But he's already-"

"Yosh!" Luffy said and sprinted right past Sid, almost clobbering her with the bouncing metal ball.

"Wait! Luffy-" Robin called out but her voice was covered by the healer.

"Watch it!" Sid snapped and then hurriedly followed behind the rubber boy, "Oy! Luffy! How does that woman know where the bell is?"

"She just does," Luffy said, "Robin knows things."

Sid raised an eyebrow. "Got it. I'll ask her myself."

Underneath them, Robin turned to smile politely at the terrified child. "Say, can you help me with something?"

Aisa's scream immediately stopped and she took one step away from the weird woman.

"Do you know where our navigator is? She has orange hair…" Robin said slowly but in a serious tone so that the child could understand that she was not playing around.

"Eh? You mean Nami?" Aisa asked and she pointed up at the ship, "She's up there with-...Huh?" Her arm dropped and she listened intently for the voices around and above her. "I only hear one voice coming from the sky…"

Just then, a sound of a strong waver jet came from a distance. Soon, Nami appeared around the corner from Giant Jack on her waver and two passengers behind her. At the sight of a familiar face, Aisa broke into a relieved smile.

"NAMI!" she cried.

"Navigator? Long-nose! Cook!" Robin said, identifying Nami's passengers.

Nami grinned back at them and then stopped her waver. "Aisa! Thank goodness. Are you alright?"

Aisa ran to Nami and threw her arms around her legs.

"Aisa, where's Luffy? Where's Sid? Weren't they with you?" Nami asked.

"Luffy and Sid just went up the vine," Aisa said, "They went to fight Enel and rescue you!"

"Crap! We just missed each other," Nami gasped.

"They just left. I tried to stop them but…" Robin said with a shrug.

The long-nose Blue Sea man groaned. "Talk about bad timing. There's no time left. We gotta escape now!"

Nami revved up her waver and looked up at the vine. "You guys go ahead. I'll go grab Luffy with my waver. We'll meet you on the Merry."

"What about Sid?" Aisa asked.

"I'll...I'll go get her…"

The group whirled around towards the gruff voice and both Aisa and the long-nose shrank back in fear.

"Wyper!" Aisa gasped as the Shandian warrior got to his feet, only to lose his battle and fall to his side.

"What the-" he growled and looked down, "Why do I only have one waver?!"

Aisa shrieked and quickly hid behind Robin. "S...Sid...Sid took it…" she said meekly.

"She did what?!"

"Your's is the only pair with Sea Prism Stone in it."

"So swap shoes with me! Don't take just-...Ah, never mind," Wyper sighed and then he looked up at the darkened sky, "So...it has begun..."

"I'll get both of them back," Nami said as she revved up her engine and started to climb up Giant Jack.

Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!

Lightning began to rain down from the sky and struck various points off in the distance. Some lightning bolts were thin but some were big...Really big.

"Hurry, Nami!" the long nose called out and then turned to Robin, "C'mon! We need to take everyone to the ship!"

Aisa mustered up all her courage and she grabbed Wyper by the wrist, who was now facing away from the group and with his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "Let's go! Wyper! We need to get out of here!"

Instead of scolding her, instead of barking orders at her, Wyper did the one thing Aisa never expected him to do. He took her hand into his and gave it a hard, but not painful, squeeze.

"Aisa…" he croaked, "Look…"

Aisa followed his gaze and at first, she wasn't sure what she was looking at. Just a thick plume of smoke way out in the horizon but then, God's Voice kicked in and she heard her mother's voice cries along with everybody she knew and loved.

"Our village!" Aisa gasped, "Enel...destroyed our village!"

The devastation and the voices were too much for the little girl and she couldn't move, much less react. Her eyes watered but no tears came out. She was furious and destroyed at the same time yet could not even scream. She stood there frozen in place like a statue. That is until she heard one voice, as if it was being shouted right in her ear, that cut through everything.

"Aisa! Knock it off. IT'S FINE! You hear me? Let it go. It's fine!"

"Sid?" Aisa finally whispered.

"Eh? Aisa's here?"

"No, Luffy! I know she can hear me and that's why I'm talking to her right now. Keep running!"

"Shishishishi. Okay."

"Luffy...Sid…" Aisa whimpered as if they would hear her plea.

"Ugh. Where was I? Right! Aisa! I know you can hear me!" Sid continued to shout, "I know you're crying and probably screaming your head off because I know you see what I see and you hear everyone else and that's my point! You can hear everyone. I know the old man isn't stupid enough to just sit idly by while all this is happening. I'm sure he must've evacuated the island by now. That means they're all alive and that's what's important! That's what I've been trying to tell the stupid village this whole time. Wyper, this whole time! Shandora doesn't matter. The sky islands doesn't matter. The village is where we are. Home is made by people, not by geography, so get a grip! We didn't lose anything except what? A few toys? Some supplies...AH! My plants! Ugh...whatever. I'll get more. Anyways, you get my point, Aisa. We're going to be fine! Okay...hopefully you got all that. If not, I just rambled to the back of Luffy's giant ball for no good reason. Ugh! REALLY hope you're not screaming your head off down there...If you're still listening, wipe your face and shout at the top of your lungs, 'IT'S FINE!' You'll feel better. Trust me. Healer's honor."

"Sid…" Aisa whimpered. Now with Sid's guidance, Aisa took another listen to the voices and it dawned on her that the cries were not that of sorrow but of gratitude and relief.

"Chief! Thank goodness you made it on the ship."

"If the Skypieans didn't warn us, I don't think we would've made it in time."

"If we lingered any longer, we would've been ash!"

Aisa withdrew her hand from Wyper's grip and rubbed her eyes with the back of it. She then threw her head back and puffed up her chest. "IT'S FINE!" she shouted towards the smoke.

Wyper raised an eyebrow and then moved his gaze to the vine. "Sid told you to do that, didn't she?" he growled.

Aisa gulped, not out of fear, but just so she could regain her composure, and then turned to Wyper. "She said it would make me feel better….And it did."

"Aisa? Is everything okay?" Robin called out from behind.

Aisa turned and gave a confident nod at the woman. "En! It's fine."

"Wait! Hold it!" the long-nose interjected and raised his hand in the air, "I get Luffy trying to rescue Nami but why is the guerilla woman helping him? EEK! DID LUFFY ASK HER TO JOIN OUR CREW?"

Aisa shook her head. "They're not just going for Nami. They're also going for this...bell?"

"Ah yes," Robin said and crossed her arms, "The golden belfry at the top of the vine."

"'The golden bell'? Is that what you said" Wyper demanded. He spun around and stared Robin dead in the eyes.

Robin nodded.

"You also spoke of the bell before being hit by Enel's electric attack," Wyper said. His eyes narrowed, "So Enel really is going after it?"

Robin nodded again.

"Wh-wh-whoa whoa whoa!" the long-nose shrieked, "This is no time for treasure hunting. Do you not see the thunderbolts?! We have to get out of here or else we'll die."

"How do you know the bell is at the top of the vine?" Wyper continued.

"Is no one listening to me?" the long-nose wailed.

"The ruins of Shandor in the layer below us," Robin answered, "This vine pierces right through the heart of the city. A map I found in the ruins indicated that the golden belfry that held the golden bell was at the center of the city. In other words, the shock from being thrust upward by the vine must have shot the golden bell into the sky straight above."

"And Sid knows this?!" Wyper shouted as he ran towards the vine. He didn't make it very far though and he stumbled to the ground after only a few steps, "Gahhh!"

Blood dripped out of the bandages across his chest and he coughed some out, staining the white cloud beneath.

"Wyper!" Aisa gasped, "No. You can't go up there. Not in your condition. You're all beat up..and even if you do climb up, there's no way for you to reach Enel in the sky."

"I have to go…" Wyper groaned. He lifted up his head and scowled at the skies above, "The bell that Great Warrior Calgara sought...I have to go!"

"Calgara?" Aisa repeated.

"Ah...That's what our true goal was…" Wyper said and then raised his fist, "Enel! I refuse to let you have it!"

Crrreeakkkk!

"Eh?" the long-nose pulled his goggles over his head and looked up at the sky, "EEK! Incoming! Everybody get out of the way!"

He scrambled away from the vine and after a few seconds, the tip of Giant Jack came hurtling down, breaking through the cloud layer and crashing in the lost city beneath. The force of the crash sent everyone tumbling to the ground. Wyper made a quick grab for Aisa and pulled her to his chest, protecting her from her fall.

"What the hell is going on up there?" the long-nose cried.

High above them and further than what even the long-nose could see, Luffy dangled with only one hand grabbing onto a feeble stem of the vine. His metal-cased hand stretched below him and it's weight was causing the stem to bend at a very alarming angle. The healer stood on top of the stem. Once again, she was trying desperately to pull the rubber boy up while the sky sheep tried his best to offer some sort of support to the bending branch.

"You can do it, Sid...Come on! You did it before!" Luffy shouted his idea of encouragement.

"It's not as easy when there's nothing supporting the ball this time!" Sid snapped. Beads of sweat poured down her face yet she still managed to throw her head back and glare directly up at the false god, hovering above in his ark.

Enel smirked. "Yahahha. You two can stay there for a while. I'll show you something interesting."

He vanished in a flash of light and did not appear anywhere within sight. From the left of Sid, the sounds of thunder and lightning began to become more frequent. She gave it a quick glance before returning to Luffy but her focus remained at the task at hand. Her years of being in the battlefield trained her to know that a warrior must be aware of their surroundings but a great warrior knows how to do so and not lose their sense of focus.

"What? What's going on?" Luffy asked, openly gaping at the lightning storm happening towards the sidelines.

"Don't worry about it right now," Sid said, "We need to take advantage of this while Enel is gone."

"Ah! Right!" Luffy said, "Pull me up!"

"It's hard, especially since your ball is bouncing up and down like that."

"It's not bouncing," Luffy said, "It's yo-yoing."

"What's a yo-yo?" Sid asked.

Luffy's eyes lit up. "Ah! I got an idea. Sid! Let go of me."

"What?!"

"Let go!"

"Alright. Alright. Boo!" Sid leapt off the branch and Boo swooped in and caught her almost immediately.

"Yosh!" Luffy said. He pulled his arm in and let it drop, which made the ball stretch his arms even further. He kept doing that until not only was the ball bouncing up and down, the stem Luffy was holding was getting pulled down with it, "Gum-Gum…Yo-Yo!"

"Luffy!" Sid warned, "It's about to-"

The stem snapped as the ball flew straight past the stem and up into the air, taking Luffy with it. The rubber boy sailed high above the vines and even through the last cloud layer that sat between them and the ark.

"Would you look at that?" Sid whistled while Boo carried her up to Luffy as fast as he could.

When they broke through the cloud and joined the captain, Nami arrived as well on her waiver.

"Alright! We're back on track!" Luffy cheered when he saw Sid, "Now's our chance to get on board."

"Luffy! Sid!" Nami called out and stopped her waver right in front of them, "Finally caught up with you two."

"Eh? Nami? What are you doing down here?" Luffy asked.

"I came to get you guys! Sanji-kun and Usopp saved me so I was down below," Nami said.

"Really? You were? That's great!" Luffy cheered.

Kaboom.

Nami gasped and she turned towards the lightning crash. "Look at the sky," she gulped, "The thunderclouds are changing shape."

"Ah…" Sid said as she leaned over Boo's horns to get a better look. The clouds directly above Angel Island were forming into a tight, black sphere. As it did so, it let in the sunlight above, causing an ominous circular shadow over the city of angels.

"That thing is bad news," Nami whispered, "That's a thundercloud wrapped in a spherical shroud and it's packed with intense currents and internal electric discharges."

"Angel Island is about to be destroyed," Sid stated bluntly.

Nami glared at the Shandian. "How can you be so cold hearted?! I understand there's a war but-"

Sid let out a dry laugh. "This is no longer a war. It's a fight for survival."

Kabooooom!

The sphere descended unto the island then burst into a brilliant blue light like a second sun. Luffy's jaw dropped while Nami's hands went to her face. The only thing Sid did was use her hand to shield some of the light from it. She didn't squint. She didn't move. She just watched it quietly from start to finish.

When the light faded, nothing was left of the island. Not even a patch of Sea Cloud.

"He...eradicated Angel Island," Nami whispered in horor. She quickly made a grab for her waver and revved up the engine, "Come on! Luffy! Let's go! Everyone's headed for our ship. We gotta get going too! Aisa is there with them, Sid, so come with us."

Sid and Luffy remained motionless with their eyes still on the nothingness that was Angel Island.

"I can't," Luffy said.

"You can't. Why not?" Nami asked.

"Even if I don't have to save you...I still have unfinished business," Luffy said.

"Business? What business? Are you trying to get back Enel or something?"

"Sid and I are getting to the gold bell!" Luffy declared.

Nami groaned. "Gold!? Your life is more important you know. Just look! Even if lightning doesn't hur tyou, he has the power to destroy everything in other ways! If it's gold you want,, then look. You have so much gold on your arm! Forget about the bell. You'll get killed!'

"So what?" Sid scoffed, "I'm getting that bell if it's the last thing I do."

"So WHAT?!" Nami gasped, "Listen! Just because you have a death wish doesn't mean you can just pull Luffy into it too. Luffy! Whatever Sid has convinced you, you should-"

"YOU SAW IT YOURSELF!" Luffy shouted and Nami snapped to attention.

"Saw what?" she asked.

Luffy finally turned to his nakama. "The city of gold exists! It wasn't a lie. Old diamond-head's ancestor wasn't lying so I have to let the old guy know! The city of gold exists and it's in the sky!" Luffy pointed down at his feet, "If I ring the bell, he should be able to hear it down there. Otherwise, he's going to keep searching on the ocean floor until he dies! I can't let Enel just take it!"

"Luffy…" Nami whispered.

"I'm sure the huge bell can be heard from anywhere so that's why I'm going to ring the golden bell!" Luffy shouted.

Nami stood staring at her captain for awhile and she didn't say another word. Finally, her gaze travelled to the Shandian. "And...and you?" she asked softly.

"Once that bell is rung," Sid said and looked out towards where the village once stood, "It'll put in end to my duel."

"What? I thought you said this wasn't about the war anymore!"

"Not with the Skypieans…" Sid replied with her eyes still on the village, "My duel with my ancestors."

"Huh?"

The navigator did not understand at all what this Shandian was saying but next to her, her Blue Sea nakama, readjusted the straw hat on his head and gave the Shandian a knowing nod.

"Yosh," he said, "Let's go."


	11. A Thing to Protect

**Ch 11 - A Thing to Protect**

"Everybody! Head's up! Something's falling again!" the long-nose cried and he ducked behind the green haired swordsman, who had only recently awakened. They had been waiting in silence for some sort of update from the people above. The Blue Sea people did not plan to leave without their captain. Wyper and Aisa were certainly not going to leave and abandon Sid. As for Gan Fall and Pierre, well, neither the Shandians or the Blue Sea people even bothered to ask for their motives.

"What?" the swordsman asked as a large leaf floated casually down to the floor, covering the sleeping reindeer.

"A leaf?" Aisa asked.

"It has some writing on it," Robin said. She took a couple of steps towards the leaf and Aisa did as well. However, before she could even read the first letter, she got her own message from above.

"Aisa! If you can hear me, repeat this message out loud for the others to hear. Okay? Ready? I'm going to say the message on the count of three," Sid barked, "One…"

"It's Sid!" Aisa gasped.

"Two!"

"The leaf must be from Nami and them!" the long-nose said with a snap of his fingers, "What does it say?"

"Three! Cut-"

"Cut down this huge vine so it falls towards the west," Robin and Aisa said at the same time.

"Eh? Aisa, you can read Blue Sea writing? Since when?" Wyper asked.

"No! Sid! Sid just said that to me," Aisa said

"What's towards the west?" the Blue Sea swordsman asked and everybody looked up.

"Enel's ship is in that direction," Gan Fall said.

The swordsman scoffed and poked the leaf with one of his sheathed swords. "Isn't it obvious then? They want to jump to the ship by crossing the falling vine."

The long-nose's eyes bulged out of their sockets. "That's crazy!"

"Well, you go up there and try and stop Luffy then," the swordsman said.

"As if he could be stopped!" the long-nose sputtered.

"In any case, reckless or not, we've got no choice but to let him do this."

Wyper snorted. "Sounds like he's just as much a pain to deal with as Sid." His own words jolted him to another curious thought and he looked over at Aisa, who might have an answer, "Why is Sid helping that Blue Sea pirate? Why isn't she just using Boo to get to Enel and the bell directly?"

"Because-"

_Kaboom!_

Aisa's sentence was cut off not only from the sound of thunder but a bolt of lightning striking just a few feet away from where they stood. The patch of sea cloud exploded from the impact but before the child could fall through the sky, Wyper scooped her up with one arm and ran towards more stable ground. Clusters of bolts were coming down hard around them and it was too concentrated for it not to be mere coincidence.

"Enel knows what we're up to," Wyper growled while the Blue Sea pirates and Gan Fall, dragging Pierre, ran for cover.

"Robin! Catch!" the swordsman shouted, throwing the reindeer doctor to his nakama and drew his sword, "All I have to do is cut the vine, right?"

"Wait! Zoro!" the long-nose protested as the swordsman ran off.

_Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!_

He could not make a straight run towards the vine. Lightning came crashing at him every few seconds and if not for his own naturally quick reflexes, he would've been struck countless times.

"AH! ZORO!" the long-nose shrieked.

However, just as quickly as the lightning storm started, it ended and Zoro was able to run the last few feet without any hindrance.

"Eh? What happened?" Wyper asked when he reached the Vearth part of the island. He lowered Aisa to the ground and stared at the swordsman, "Did they get to Enel without our help?!"

Aisa cupped her ears and squeezed her eyes, focusing all of her attention on above.  _Let me hear something. Let me hear something. Let me hear-_

She fell into silence and then inhaled a sharp breath just as Zoro sliced a big chunk off of the vine.

"Yay! He did it! He cut the vine!" the long-nose cheered but his joy was short lived, "Wait...why isn't it falling?! It's still standing tall! Is that still considered a plant?! Robin! What are we going to do?"

Aisa's eyes flew open and she tugged at Wyper's arm. "It's SID! Sid is up there…She's facing Enel alone! That's why Enel didn't attack us any more. She's stalling for us and Luffy!"

"She's what?!" Gan Fall gasped while the long-nose took it as amazing news.

He grabbed a slingshot out of his bag and ran towards the vine. "Zoro! Let me help you!"

_Kyaaaa!_

Aisa pulled her hat further down her ears and she cringed violently. "He's hurting her. Sid is...Sid is really hurt."

Wyper's expression turned just as thunderous as the clouds above. "What do you mean she's stalling? Why is she helping these Blue Sea people? Aisa?!"

Normally Aisa would shrink away from Wyper's harsh scolds but this time, something within her snapped. Her fear of him was completely covered by her worry for Sid's well-being. "Luffy...LUFFY IS OUR FRIEND!" Aisa cried.

"What nonsense are you spewing?!" Wyper roared, using the tone he usually reserved only for the Shandian healer, which was too much for the child and she cowered from him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Aisa cried.

"Four hundred years ago, an explorer told a lie that he saw city of gold," Robin said softly from behind the Shandians.

Wyper's posture turned even straighter and he glanced over his shoulder cautiously at the woman.

"Although people laughed at him, his descendants believed his words," Robin continued, "And are still searching for this city of gold in the Blue Sea. If we ring the gold bell, we can let them know the city of gold is in the sky...That's what that boy in the straw hat is thinking. That's a wonderful reason, isn't it? It has romanticism. Even in this situation, going so far as to lose his chance to escape..."

As the long nose shot varying explosives at the vine, the Shandian slowly turned towards the Blue Sea woman. "What…" he said slowly, his voice constricted, "What is the name of this explorer's descendant?"

"Montblanc Cricket," Robin replied.

"Then...is the name of his ancestor from 400 years ago...Noland?" Wyper asked as tears streamed down his face.

"Eh? Wyper?" Aisa stood back up but when she tried to peer around the warrior to see his face, she was shoved back by his arm.

He closed his eyes but tilted his face towards the sky.  _Is this a miracle...? Great Warrior Calgara?_

* * *

- _The Ark-_

"Hmmph," Enel scoffed as Sid fell to her knees for the fourth time. Steam was coming out of every pore of her blackened body but she refused to fall over.

Enel looked out into the distance and he smirked, "Looks like all your work is for nothing. The vine still stands tall."

"They'll do it. Those Blue Sea people...are not to be underestimated," Sid said between gritted teeth. She struggled to her feet but once she did, she balled up her fists and bent her knees. The smirk left Enel's face when she turned one of her fists and beckoned him over with four fingers, "And don't worry about the vine. I'm still standing too, you know…"

"You underestimate  _me,_ " Enel snarled. He reappeared behind her in a flash of light but before he could put a hand on her, she blocked his arm with her own, ignoring the spark of electricity exuding from the skin contact.

"I don't need Mantra. Your moves are getting predictable," Sid hissed.

Without batting an eye, Enel used his free arm to tap the drum behind him twice. "60 Million Volt Thunder Dragon!"

Sid jumped back as far as she could but she still closed her eyes and braced for impact. She understood where to draw the strength for God's Armor but there was no telling how long that would actually hold up against Enel's relentless attacks.

"BOOO!"

"Eh?!"

The sky sheep swooped in and expanded between her and the ferocious lightning bolt. Enel struck right into Boo's protective wall. Electric blue energy crackled and sparked within his blackened cloud, that was starting to condense back into a ball.

"BOO! No!" Sid screamed but just as she mustered up the strength to run towards the sky sheep, the lightning started to gather and it became frenetic the more the energy came together.

"Boo!"

_Kaboom!_

A bolt of lightning came shooting out of Boo and directly back at Enel. It went right through it's creator, not harming him in the slightest, but it shot through the wooden wall of the ark. The sky sheep itself returned to its usual form as if nothing had happened.

"What?" Sid gasped as he floated in front of her and glared at Enel, daring him to try it again, "You can do that?! Since when?!"

Enel whirled around to look at the damage to his ship and when he turned back to the Shandorian, his expression was nothing but pure rage.

"Why you…" he snarled as he raised his hand up towards the blackened sphere he created, "Mamaragan!"

From above, bolts of lightning came raining down from the spherical thundercloud Enel had created. They avoided the ark entirely but struck down with persistence on Upper Yard.

"Your so-called God's Armor," Enel spat, "I'm no fool. I can see that it relies on your sense of protection...But how long do you think you can use it if there's nothing left to protect?"

"What are you…?" Sid ran over to the edge of the ark and she watched flames and smoke erupt from all over Upper Yard's forest. More importantly, she could see that the thickest clouds of smoke was shrouded around the base of Giant Jack, "He's trying to sink the vine before Luffy can get here...and he's going to destroy Shandora!"

Enel smirked, happy that this pathetic creature was smart enough to realize his intentions. To realize that resistance was futile and that no matter what sort of "protection" she had, it would only be a matter of time before he destroyed it all with his divine powers.

He watched with glee as the healer doubled over the railing and started to sob. Her whole body was trembling with devastation.

His joy, however, was short lived and the smirk was wiped completely off his face when the healer threw her head back and revealed not only was she not crying, she was laughing. Hysterically.

"Maybe Wyper's right...Maybe I am crazy if even 'God' doesn't understand me," she said. She wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath. "The history of the proud warriors of Shandia will not be wiped out just because you destroyed some bits of rock that they once lived in. You can destroy Vearth. You can even destroy this very ark that we're standing on. That's not what I'm protecting. That's not what I'm fighting for."

"Then what?" Enel sneered, "You're friends?"

His guess made Sid laugh even harder and she shook her head up at the thundering skies. "They'll be fine. They're strong and smart enough to get out of harm's way…"

"Then...then what?!" Enel demanded, not liking this maddening game of riddles he was inexplicably pulled into, "What are you protecting? What are you fighting for?!"

Sid looked back at him and this time it was her turn to smirk back at him. "My freedom."

"What?"

"Boo! Catch!" Sid shouted as she leapt over the side of the ship.

"WHAT?!" Enel snarled. He ran over to where the healer was just standing. Her sky sheep raced right past his head and caught his master just as someone came to take her place in the fight.

"ENEL!" Luffy screamed as Nami drove him right to the tip of the vine with her waver, "HAND OVER THE BELL!"

" _Wyper! WYPER!"_

" _Aisa, don't go over there!"_

" _But Wyper! He just used another Reject Dial to break Giant Jack. His body can't handle that. He's going to die! WYPER!"_

Enel cursed himself for letting the healer mess up his mantra and distract him from what was going on down below. "Enough! One annoyance after another..." Enel seethed. He brought his hand up towards the sky again, "Disappear with the land! Raigo!"

"Nami...Sid...Thanks," Luffy said as he unwrapped his arm from around Nami's waist and gave a small nod to the Shandian on her sky sheep next to them, "I won't let your help go to waste."

The navigator dropped onto a small tuft of island cloud that was barely big enough for her and her waver.

"Luffy!" Nami cried as the rubber boy ascended straight into Enel's Deathpiea.

"What is he doing? The ship's over that way!" Sid demanded as she sat up from her seat. She looked over to the Blue Sea person for answers but Nami was transfixed with horror at the thundercloud above, "Why do you look so shocked? Didn't you say lightning doesn't work on rubber? Nami? Nami! Hello! Don't ignore me!"

"With that kind of power...who knows...what could happen to Luffy," Nami said.

They watched in silence as the lightning in the cloud became agitated and bolts of electricity discharged from the thundercloud at random speeds and strength.

"What...what is this abnormal activity?" Nami whispered as she threw her arm over her eyes to prevent herself from being blinded by the light.

"How annoying," Enel growled from his ship, "Everything...be gone!"

With another shot of lightning from his hand to Deathpiea, the thundercloud descended towards Upper Yard.

"If it's abnormal to you and annoying to Enel," Sid said while she squinted her eyes, "Then it must be Luffy. C'mon, Luffy...Whatever you're doing, do it faster!"

"Aahhhhhhhhh! AAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The roar from the Blue Sea captain came flooding out of the thundercloud. Cracks of light began to break through the dense cloud and as it spread all around the sphere, Luffy's voice grew with it.

"CLEAR UP ALREADY!"

Electricity crackled over the surface and its intensity increased as all the energy came together into one bright light.

"CLEAAARRRRR UPPPP!" Luffy shouted once more as the energy bursted out, destroying Deathpiea, clearing away the clouds overhead and returning the sky to it's sunny and blue state.

Sid clung onto Boo as the sky sheep was sent spinning off into the distance by the shockwave. When they finally came to a stop, she blinked her eyes a few times, rotated her head from side to side, and then sat up only to rotate her head again. She took a few deep breaths and waited for her dizziness to fade. The sudden return of sunshine stung her eyes so she could barely keep them open as she looked around for signs of Luffy.

"Where are you?" she whispered, "Come on...Come on...Luffy...Please be alive. Please be-"

She stopped short when a gleaming light caught her eye and a breath caught in her chest. With Death Peia gone and the sun shining brightly, she spotted a golden belfry, covered in vines and sitting with dignity on a small island cloud.

"Is that…" she whispered.

"AHHHHH! ENEL!"

"Luffy!" Sid gasped. She tore her eyes away from the golden bell and looked around frantically for the captain, "TAKE HIM DOWN AND RING THAT BELL!"

"Ahhh!"

Now Sid could see Luffy. He and the golden ball, still attached firmly to his hand, were falling a few feet away from the ark.

"200 Million Volt Amaru!"

Sid sucked in a breath. "Son of a…"

Enel had turned into an entity of pure lightning. He grew to five times his original size and he looked like a mythical creature with fire-like hair and a belly as big as hill.

"I...am...GOD!" Enel shouted as he punched the air. A bolt of lightning struck out from his fist and consumed the rubber boy, "You are just a paramythia. There's no way I can't crush you with my Logia power!"

"I said….that it doesn't work on me!" Luffy roared as he ran through the lightning bolt and right up Enel's arm, ""God' this. 'God' that. GAH! I'm so sick of crap. What kind of god wouldn't save anything at all?!"

_Thwack!_

The rubber boy landed a kick right across Enel's enlarged head and smashing in his jaw.

"LUFFY! Watch out!" Sid shouted when she spotted Enel raising his fist again but this time he was holding onto a new trident. This one was as tall as Sid's tent, "Boo! GO!"

_Shing! Thwack!_

"AH! SID!" Luffy shouted as Sid crashed against his back while holding the outer prongs in place with her smoking, black hands.

"Hooooot!," Sid said through gritted teeth while Boo expanded enough to give Luffy a place to stand too.

"You again?!" Enel shouted, "I'll skewer the both of you!"

"Oy...Luffy?"

"Ah?"

"Yo-yo."

"OH!"

"ENOUGH!"

Enel raised another trident in his other fist and just as he was about to pierce through both Sid and Luffy, Sid let go of his weapon and the sky sheep stopped floating, completely dropping him, Sid, and Luffy out of the sky.

"Ahhhhh!" Luffy screamed as they hurtled downwards.

"Ha! So you all choose to fall? How pitiful," Enel laughed.

"NOW! BOO!" Sid shouted.

The sky sheep skidded to a halt. Sid and Luffy slammed into him and they continued to drop but the sky sheep was not to be deterred. He squeezed his eyes shut and his horns began to grow. "B...B...Boooo!"

He stopped their fall but not by much. The gold ball that encased Luffy's arm was still falling over Boo's side.

"Come on. Come on," Sid said as the ball reached as far as it'll go and jerked the sky sheep and it's passengers downwards, "Keep steady, Boo."

"Boo!"

The ball bounced up and down, up and down, up and down, until finally Luffy and Sid shared a grin. The rubber boy twisted his arm just as the ball was descending one last time.

"GUM-GUM...GOLDEN...SPINNING YOYO!" Luffy yelled as he pulled his arm forward.

The ball spun wildly as it launched forward both from the force of it's bouncing and with the added pull from the rubber boy itself. It sailed upwards, breaking right through the hull of the ark and sending Enel flying off into the sky.

"AHHHHHHH!" Enel cried as he disappeared into the heavens.

"LUFFY! THE BELL!" Sid shouted up as the rubber boy began to fall again. She and Boo flew up to catch the boy once again but this time, Sid grabbed hold of Luffy's arm to help him stabilize the golden ball.

"Yosh! Together!" Luffy said as pulled his arm back and wound it around one last time, "Gum-Gum...ROCKET!"

Luffy threw his arm forward with Sid adding in her own strength to swing the rubber boy's arm towards the golden bell.

"AHHHHHH!" Sid screamed as the golden ball crashed right into the center of the bell.

_Bong!_

The golden ball broke on impact, freeing Luffy's hand.

_Bong!_

The rubber boy snapped back his arm but he was so used to the weight of the ball that he pulled with too much force and fell right off the sky sheep.

_Bong!_

"LUFFY!" Sid shouted as the rubber boy rocketed downwards.

He thrust out his arms and legs and puffed up his chest. "DID YOU HEAR THAT, OLD DIAMOND-HEAD? MONKEYS?!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, "THE CITY OF GOLD...WAS RIGHT HERE!"

_Bong!_


	12. A New Direction

There are many ways to celebrate. Sid knew that. All Shandians knew that.

Despite what it may seem to the outside world, the Shandian warriors were the most eager to partake in any sort of festivities, including Wyper. After all, they've been fighting a war for over four centuries. The warriors were the ones who knew better than anyone else that the future was never a guarantee, so they relished the present and any happy occasion that came with it.

Every birthday in the tribe was commemorated with a feast involving the whole community. Every wedding was at least a three-day event. Even every funeral, while experienced with many tears shed, was still a celebration of the deceased's life.

Naturally, with the ending of a 400-year long war, an alliance finally reached between Shandians and Skypieans, and the Song of the Island ringing once more from the Shandorian Bell, a celebration to top all celebrations was demanded and necessary.

Which was why it was extremely odd and slightly alarming for Chief Urepo to find his granddaughter sitting solemnly in a Shandoran ruin next to the wounded Wyper while everyone else was outside celebrating alongside the Skypieans and the Blue Sea pirates.

"Sid," he said gently as he walked into the broken building and crouched next to her granddaughter, "I thought Wyper was out of danger?"

"He is," Sid said as she continued to mix a paste in her mortar and pestle, "I'm just waiting for him to wake up."

"He'll wake up in his own time," Chief Urepo said, "Why aren't you out there dancing around the fire or even leading the drum circle like you usually are?"

Sid scoffed and she looked up at her grandfather. "You think Wyper's going to just wake up and be okay with the fact we've agreed to share this land with the Skypieans? He's going to reopen his wounds from sheer outrage alone. Someones gotta stay here and hold him back."

"If he still wants to end my life, he's happy to have it," Gan Fall said from the doorway. He gave a nod to the Shandian Chief as he entered, "If that will appease his anger…"

"I don't even know if it is anger inside of him," Sid admitted, "I mean...fighting this war is all he knew...And now that it's over...What's next for us? Sure. It's great that it's over and I guess, in a way, we won...but...but...Now what?"

Chief Urepo sat down next to the healer and he rummaged through his robe pocket. "It means, my child," he said as he pulled out an Eternal Pose and held it in front of Sid's face so she'd look at that instead of her medicine, "It means you can finally do what you've always dreamed about doing."

The mortar dropped to the floor along with the pestle and Sid grabbed the trinket from Urepo. "Old man! How do you have this? I thought you said Enel destroyed everything in our village!"

"He did," Urepo said with a smile, "But I had time to grab a few things before we left. I'm sorry I could only take one. Time was of the essence."

Sid swallowed a lump in her throat and she lowered the Eternal Pose. "I don't know if you'd give this to me if you knew what it is…"

"Of course I know what it is," Urepo said as he straightened out his robes, "I was once a guerilla, much like yourself. That is an instrument used to navigate through the Blue Sea!"

"Y-You're...You're letting me leave?" Sid gasped, "You're seriously okay with me- Wait!"

She shook her head fervently and took a deep breath. "Old man, you might be letting the celebration get to you. I can't leave. If I go, who is going to look after you? Look after the village?! My assistants are nowhere near capable enough to take on anything by themselves and there's so many wounded right now that-"

"We have doctors and, erm, healers of our own that can do that," Gan Fall said with a smile, "It might not be the same methods that you may be used to but it is effective."

"No offense...but my patients don't trust you all just yet. It's too soon!"

"Or is it the perfect time?" Urepo asked. He stood up and walked over to Gan Fall so they stood shoulder to shoulder as equals, "We need to learn to trust each other and rely on each other now on this land. What better way than to put one's well-being into each other's hands?"

"I can't go!" Sid said and her grandfather raised an eyebrow.

"Can't? Or won't? What are you so afraid of, Sid?"

"I'm not afraid," Sid snapped as she leaped to her feet, "Who said anything about being afraid?"

"Then why aren't you going?"

"Don't tell me you're in love with me and want to stay here as my wife."

Despite her earlier words of trying to prevent Wyper from reopening his wounds, Sid gave Wyper a good hard kick in the side for his comment.

"OW!"

"How long have you been awake?" Sid demanded as she knelt down, set the Eternal Pose next to her feet, and began to mend the injury she had just caused.

"Long enough to know that everything has changed," Wyper grunted, "I assume the drums outside are not the sounds of battle."

"No one wants to fight anymore," Chief Urepo said, "There is no distinction amongst the wounded. Yourself included."

"Then why am I in here all by myself?"

"Because you're the only idiot who thought using a Reject Dial three times in one day was a great idea," Sid replied, "Welcome to the idiot ward."

"Makes sense," Wyper growled, "Since you're in here with me."

Sid balled up her fist but she resisted the urge to add more work to herself. "Meaning?" she asked tersely.

"You once accused me of being too caught up in the past to focus on the future...well, now the future is here and here you are, blatantly hiding from it."

"I'm not hiding," Sid snapped, "I just have a lot of responsibilities here that I can't just- Don't move! You're not ready to move around just yet!"

"Ahhhh," Wyper groaned as he pulled himself up to a seated position. He bent his legs and leaned his arms on his knees. He cocked his head to the side and he stared solemnly at the healer. For the first time in their entire life, there was no anger between them. There was no battle. There was nothing for them to fight about anymore. The only thing left was a deep understanding of each other's character, "Sid, you can go. Our ancestors would want you to-"

"Enough with the ancestors!" Sid exclaimed, "You would think after going through everything that just happened you'd have a better sense of-"

"Your grandmother would want you to go," Wyper interrupted.

Sid fell silent as she sat back on her knees.

"You have the blessing of our ancestors...and you have the blessing of the tribe to go," Wyper said sternly, "We've fulfilled our duty as Shandian warriors. You, above everyone else, has done that today. No one would fault you for leaving."

"But…" Sid said but her protest came out only in a whisper. She had suppressed her dream for so long, hiding it away like a shameful memory, that she didn't know anymore how to think about it without a deep sense of guilt. All her life, she was told to put the tribe first and herself second. To be told otherwise was unimaginable. Incomprehensible. Something she could never do. And yet...

"What...what about you?"

Wyper scoffed and pulled out the cigar in his pocket. He balanced on his lips and he paused only for a second, to give Sid a chance to stop him before he lit the end and sucked in the bitter, thick smoke. "Now I know you've got no leg to stand on if your only argument is that you need to take care of me."

Sid chuckled and she crossed her arms over her chest. "I meant what about you? What are you going to do?"

Wyper shrugged. "I'll have to figure it out. You were right. I am a man who never thought about the future."

There was a long pause and then a smile slowly spread across Sid's face.

"YESSSSS!" Sid jumped to her feet and thrust both hands up in the air. She then began to stomp and dance around Wyper's bed to the beat of the drum circle outside. "YAAAAAH!"

Wyper almost dropped his cigar. "What has gotten into you?! What are you-"

"You heard it, right, old man? Gan Fall? You all heard it right?" Sid asked as she froze in mid-step to point at everyone she was questioning. Then she cupped her hands to her mouth, "AISA! DID YOU HEAR THAT?!"

"Hear what?!" Wyper demanded.

"Heh. Heh. You said I was riiiight. You said I was riiiight!" Sid sang as she continued to dance around his bed.

"Why don't we take the celebration outside?" Chief Urepo suggested, ignoring the murderous look Wyper was giving the Chief's kin. He held the flap open and revealed to Wyper the many bonfires that were blazing outside.

"Woohoo! Let's celebrate!" Sid shouted as she danced her way out the ruins and right around the largest bonfire.

"Alright! Sid's here! Let's do this!" Kamakiri yelled from the drum circle as he led everyone around him to quicken the pace.

As Sid stomped and clapped to every beat of the drum, the people around her, Shandian, Skypiean, and Blue Sea people alike, all leaned in a bit closer to get a better look.

"YAH! Sid!" Luffy cheered while he tore into a roasted poultry leg.

"AH! Sid-chan. You are such a glorious dancer!" Sanji swooned.

"Go, Sid! Go!" Laki shouted and then stuck her fingers in her mouth to let out a shrill whistle.

From the ruins, Chief Urepo leaned against the doorframe as he watched his granddaughter finally get into the festive spirit. "Ah...Go, Sid...Go…"

* * *

_-4 Days Later, Inside the Belly of the Giant Snake-_

"Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be the others retrieving the bell?" Nami huffed as she watched Sid rummage around looking for gold, Nami's gold.

"I already said my goodbyes," Sid said as she pulled out a golden cross with encrusted with shiny emeralds and stuck it in her bulging messenger bag, "I'll be leaving as soon as I get enough gold. You said it was valuable down in the Blue Sea, right?"

She paused at that thought and then she looked to the navigator. "How much gold should I take with me?"

"You already have enough! You even have that gold trident on your back!" Nami snapped and then she glared at Luffy, Chopper, and Sanji, who was also sorting through the rubble, "DIG FASTER!"

"Yes, Nami-san!" Sanji shouted dutifully while Chopper and Luffy groaned.

"Nami...Don't we have enough?" Chopper asked as he pointed over to the three piles they've already collected. Each was sitting on a large square cloth.

"Not only we've searched this entire snake!" Nami said.

"But it could wake up at any moment!" Luffy whined, "It was so hard to get out of him the first time."

"Her," Chopper corrected and Sid's ears perked up.

"The snake is a girl?"

"Yeah, she told me last night."

"I see," Sid said and then smiled at how her sky sheep was sleeping on top of Chopper's hat, "You know, you and Boo have been hanging out these last couple of nights. Did he ever mention to you about what happened with Enel? How he was suddenly able to block Enel's lightning?"

Chopper nodded. "He said he couldn't redirect it the first time because Aisa was in him and he didn't want to hurt her...So he had to absorb as much of it as he can...But then the second time, since he wasn't carrying anyone…"

"That makes sense," Sid said and then she chuckled, "I should thank Enel, actually. I think his lightning bolt triggered Boo's growth spurt. His horns are bigger and he's feeling a bit heavier."

"Sid-chan, do you know where you're going? You said you had an Eternal Pose but where is it going to? Do you know how to navigate a ship?" Sanji asked, "Maybe you should ride with us."

Sid laughed. "Thanks for the offer but I'm going to head to Jaya on Boo," she said and then looked to Nami for confirmation, "That's what the Eternal Pose says it's pointed at, right?"

Nami nodded. "It shouldn't be that far of a ride for you two. From what you tell me about Island Clouds, they don't actually move like regular clouds so you would only be half a day's away. That's about how long it took us to get here."

"And you guys said that Skypiean, Conis?, was taking you to Cloud End so it'll be better for me to take a more direct route," Sid said.

"What's the direct route?" Sanji asked.

Sid pointed down and she grinned.

"You're...You're just going to fall?!" Chopper exclaimed.

"I got Boo. It'll be fine and I have enough Breath Dials to sustain my swim through the Sea Clouds," Sid grinned, "So what's Jaya like anyways?"

"Jaya!" Luffy asked as his head poked up from behind a boulder, "You're going to Jaya, Sid? When?"

"Idiot. Were you not listening to a thing we just said?! And what do you mean when? Why do you think we had her going away party last night?!" Sanji asked.

"Oh. Is that what it was for? I thought we were just camping," Luffy laughed and then he tapped his fist to his hand, "Oh yeah! Sid! Since you're going to Jaya, you might as well meet old diamond-head and the monkeys. They'll be so surprised to see you!"

"The Monkeys? Are they part of your tribe?" Sid asked and Sanji and Nami snorted with laughter.

"You could say they're in the same family," Nami snickered.

"Hrmm...Okay. I'll go see them," Sid said with a nod, "I guess as a descendant of Noland, I do owe them an explanation…"

"HEYYY! HEY, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOWN THERE A LONG TIME!" Usopp's shout echoed right to the tip of the snake's tail, "YOU SHOULD COME OUT SOON!"

"Well, I'm ready," Sid said as she stretched her arms and her back, "How about you guys?"

Sanji went over to their share and he started to tie the cloths around their treasure. "I think we found all that we can carry, Nami-san. This is already more than what I had expected to get."

"Ah...I guess you're right," Nami said and took one last, longing look around her, "We should've gotten Robin to come with us. She could've helped grab so much more! Why did she have to go off and explore? It's just more crumbling buildings!"

"Hey! This is my homeland we're talking about," Sid snapped.

By the time they exited the snake and into Shandora Square, the sun was shining directly above them. Usopp and Zoro stood at the snake's mouth and helped Chopper pull out the bag of gold he was dragging.

"Eh? This place is really empty. What's going on?"

"Probably still retrieving the belfry. That thing is huge," Sid said with a shrug and then looked up at the sky, "Well, I should be going. I'd rather get to Jaya before the sun sets.

"Sid! Join us!" Luffy exclaimed and ran over to the Shandian, "Come on! Join my crew!"

Sid snorted and shook her head. "Thanks but no. I don't think I'm cut out to be a pirate. You need to go find that One Thing, right? I'm going to need to take my time if I am to learn and collect the right plants."

Then she raised her hand up to the disappointed Luffy. "But hey! If you ever need my help, just let me know. I'll be happy to assist the future King of Pirates"

"Shishishishi. Okay!" Luffy said as he gave her a high five but locked their hands into a tight grip, "I'll see you again someday."

"Ah."

* * *

_-Out on the White Sea-_

"Okay...I've got gold. I've got dials. I've got my trident. I've got the Eternal Pose. I've got my medical supplies. I've got books. I've got my skates on...What else have I got? Right. I've got you!" Sid laughed as she poked Boo in the nose and then zipped up her backpack and closed her messenger bag, "This is going to be heavy. You think you can handle it?"

"BOO!"

"Right. Right. You were able to carry Luffy and that big gold weight so this shouldn't be a factor. Sorry. I won't doubt you again," Sid chuckled and gave Boo's head a pat. She slung her bags over her shoulders and took a deep breath. "Alright. You rea-"

"SIIIIIIID! BOOOOO! Waiiit!" Aisa came racing towards her on a waver jet with Laki at the helm. She waved her arms frantically in the air and continued to scream. "SIIID! BOOO!"

"Laki...Aisa…" Sid waited for them to stop right in front of her and Aisa flung herself on Sid, not caring at all about adding the additional weight to the healer, "OOF! Aisa, I'm going to sink if you don't get off."

"Take me with you!" Aisa bawled as she buried her head in Sid's shoulders, "I want to come with you!"

"Aisa…" Laki said patiently, "We agreed I was only going to bring you here to say one last goodbye."

"I lied."

The two older Shandian females exchanged an amused look and Sid gave Aisa a tight hug.

"Aisa, you know you can't come with me. You're not ready for that. When you're older, you can come with me then."

"Wha-? I can?" Aisa hiccuped against Sid's shoulder.

"Yeah. You think I'm going to find all the best plants and bring it up here in just one trip?" Sid demanded, "I'm going to be coming back here a lot just to drop them off. It's going to take time and I'm going to need help."

"Really?!" Aisa threw her head back and she gaped at the healer, "I...I can come with you. Really?"

Sid snorted and poked Aisa hard in the middle of her forehead, "Not right now."

"Ow!"

"But yes...You can come with me when you're ready."

"When will I be ready?" Aisa gasped.

"When you've learned all you can about the plants here," Sid said and she waved a hand towards Shandora, "Instead of collecting Vearth, you can collect and study plants now. Laki can show you and teach you what they are and how to use them. Aloe, garlic, meadowsweets, gingers...Laki knows all about them."

"Laki! You do?!"

Laki put a hand on her hip. "You think all I do is hang out with Kamakiri and them?"

"Yes," Sid teased, "Because you looooove Kamakiri and we all know he loves you back."

A blush rushed to Laki's cheeks. "That's not funny."

Aisa laughed and she started to join into Sid's song. "Laki loves Kamakiri. Laki loves Kamakiri."

"Aisa!" Laki scolded but with her face still very red, "Sid! You're not being a good role model for Aisa."

Aisa and Sid threw their heads back and laughed. When the laughter died, Sid gave a wink to Aisa, who immediately buried her head in Sid's neck.

"Do you really have to go?" Aisa whispered.

Sid chuckled and she patted Aisa's back. "I'll miss you too, Aisa."

Sid handed Aisa back to Laki and gave Aisa's cheeks one last pull. "Keep an ear out for me. I'll be back before you know it."

"Ooooooow!" Aisa whined but she didn't glare at Sid when the healer let go. Instead, the child started to cry again, "Don't use a big ship to carry your plants. Use a little one so you can come back often, okay?"

Sid snorted. "Fine. I won't sail on a big ship."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Sid grinned and then she stretched her arms out, "Alright. There are at least two levels of Sea Clouds I have to get through so I can't waste any more energy or time."

She smiled softly at Laki and Aisa. "This is it. Bye, guys."

"Be safe," Laki said as Aisa could only tearfully wave to the healer.

_Bong!_

_Bong!_

_Bong!_

Sid gasped and turned towards Shandora.

"Chief Urepo has asked them to ring the bell for you and the Blue Sea people," Laki said, "The saviors of this land."

_Bong!_

_Bong!_

_Bong!_

"What are you idiots talking about? Savior?" Sid sniffed as she felt her eyes start to sting, "I'm just a healer."


	13. An Unexpected Disturbance

**Ch 13 - An Unexpected Disruption**

"Oh...so you like cake, eh?"

Sid stopped mid-bite and looked over the mound of food she held by the fistful towards the old diver with the chestnut shaped hat. She blinked and took a more careful look at what she was stuffing her face with.

"Cake? This is called cake?"

Montblanc Cricket chuckled and pointed down at the bowl her sky sheep was drinking out of. "And that is called milk."

"Boo?" the sky sheep asked, dripping milk down the front of his face.

"Well, we know what milk is," Sid laughed, "We have sky cows, after all."

"Is that so?" Cricket asked while he drank a cup of tea.

It had been four days now since this winged woman showed up on his turf, handing him gold and talking about islands in the sky and some sort of ancestral duty. To be honest, he still wasn't quite clear about all the details, no matter how many times she tried to explain, but whatever this bell had done, it clearly brought him some sort of good luck. After all, two interesting visitors within the two weeks? He wasn't going to thumb his nose at the importance of this bell or at her story. They were tied together in a way. That part was made very clear to him.

Sid wiped the crumbs and icing off her mouth with the back of her hand and she set her chunk of cake down on the tree stump, missing the plate completely. They were enjoying the morning outside of Cricket's house, where the sun had just lifted off of the vast blue sea. The Shandian had spent many hours just looking, touching, and swimming in the waters and she doubted she'd ever get enough of it. It was just so...so different. So new.

And the forest right by old man Cricket's house? Sid could just run and climb through it for hours and hours...and she had with great pleasure.

"We don't have anything like this in Shandia," Sid said and jabbed a finger into the moist cake, "Did you grow this?"

It was questions like that which really amused Cricket. Ever since she got here, she would ask question after question about the simplest things that the old man never really took the time to think about until she brought it up. Maybe after going into the sea and being underwater for so long, it was a breath of fresh air to just stay grounded and take in his surroundings.

"No," Cricket said as he lit a cigarette, "This is something that you need to make. It doesn't happen naturally. I got this from the bakery in town. I'm not much of a baker but I know it's mostly made of flour, egg, butter, and sugar."

"Flour? Sugar? Butter? Baking? What's baking?" Sid asked.

Cricket frowned as he tried to find the right words. "It's a form of cooking. Is there no baking up in Sky Island? What do you eat up there?"

Sid shrugged. "Grilled fish, seaweed, and whatever vegetables and meat we take from Blue Sea ships."

"Ah. Right. You can't grow anything on Island Clouds," Cricket said, "And you said dirt was limited up there so you must not have any crops of wheat or rice, huh? That might be why you're not familiar with cake or bread."

"Yes, dirt," Sid repeated and then scooped up some right next to her feet and felt it drain out between her fingers along with a clump of grass, "I still can't believe you have so much of it."

"Too much of it," Cricket laughed. He looked over at the two large scavenging ships docked in front of his house and he raised an eyebrow, "Those two sure are sleeping in late today. Did they forget they're supposed to take you into town today?"

"Why don't you want to go?" Sid asked.

Cricket puffed on his cigarette. "I'll only cause a commotion. People have a tendency to get riled up when they're around me."

"Because of Noland?"

Cricket ashed his cigarette. "Ah."

"But...I'm living proof that Noland was telling the truth," Sid said, "Once they meet me and see Boo, they'll-"

"Think you're some crazy person wearing some sort of angel costume and making up some sort of fairy tale," Cricket replied, "Believe me, nowadays the hardest thing for a person to believe is the truth. Especially, if it's the truth they didn't want to hear. Also, speaking of Boo, it's best if you leave him here with me. Don't want anybody grabbing him while you're distracted."

"Boo!"

The sky sheep liked the idea very much. He floated over to Cricket and flopped on his shoulder, giving the old man a strong nuzzle with his wooly cloud.

Cricket let out a snort and gave two strong pats to the sheep. "Friendly little guy."

Sid crossed her arms, not caring about smearing her skin with icing and dirt, and leaned back on the tree stump she was sitting on. "If it's so hard for people here to believe the truth, why did you believe me?" Sid asked.

Cricket grinned. "It's hard to ignore someone who shows up with a bag full of gold."

Sid picked up the trident she left on the grass and she twirled it against the sunlight. "I still don't understand why you all value this so much. Why would you need this if you have dirt? Life comes out of the dirt. Life can't come out of gold."

"It's the same as you valuing dirt," Cricket said, "Dirt is rare up in Sky Island. Gold is rare down here."

"But what's its use?"

Cricket smiled. "To make shiny weapons for one."

"Oh! You're up! Good morning, Old Timer! Good morning, Sid-chan!" Shoujo shouted from over the railing of his ship as his brother jumped off his own ship and onto the grass.

"Ookekeke. Ready to go into town?" Mashira grinned.

"She's been ready for hours now," Cricket said before Sid could say anything, "I had to give her cake for breakfast because I thought you two would be up by then for her to eat in town."

"Do you not usually eat cake for breakfast?" Sid asked and frowned, "But it's so delicious. Why wouldn't you eat it all the time?"

"It's not healthy for you," Cricket said, "Too much sugar."

"Sugar?"

"Ookekekeke. We'll show you when we get to Mock Town," Mashira laughed.

Sid had thought that a town in the Blue Sea would look like Shandora. Tall and sturdy buildings resting on the solid ground with all sorts of trees and plants growing around them. To say that she was disappointed at what a town really looked like would be too harsh but she did feel a bit down that Mock Town wasn't what she had imagined it to be. Most of the buildings were two stories high at most and were not even as dignified as the stone steps of Shandora. A few palm trees dotted here and there behind a few buildings but that was it. A lot of the buildings also had parts of the wall missing, which turned out to be not the norm for this place.

"What...what happened here?" Shoujo asked as he eyed the damage done to the street and businesses. Windows were shattered, there were blood stains on the cobblestone, and though this town was usually quiet, the silence was too much even for them.

"Don't stray too far from us, kid, got it?" Mashira said as his eyes moved to a piece of paper tacked against the wall of the broken pub with a maliciously smiling jolly roger on it, "Look, brother!"

"What is that?" Sid asked as Shoujo visibly stiffened.

"Bellamy Pirates…" Shoujo whispered as he frantically looked around for them, "I thought...I thought the Luffy kid handled him already?"

"Hey! You, there!" Sid shouted suddenly and ran towards a man practically trying to melt into an alleyway corner.

"EEP! Please don't hurt me. Please don't-" the man gasped as Sid ran up to him and grabbed him by the arm.

"We just want to know what happened here. We're not going to hurt you," Sid said and released her hold on him as a sign of good faith.

"Did the Bellamy Pirates do this?" Shoujo asked as they caught up to the Shandian.

The man's eyes widened at the sight of the brothers but he found the courage within him to answer their questions. "L-Last night...Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords, came to town," he stammered.

"Who?" Sid asked, "Warlord?"

"We'll explain later, kid," Mashira said.

"Why would Doflamingo come here of all places?" Shoujo asked.

"Apparently the Bellamy Pirates were sailing under his flag and...well, he was not pleased that Bellamy lost to 'Straw Hat' Luffy so...so...so he had Bellamy's own crew member, S-S-Sarquiss…"

The man couldn't go on anymore and he covered his face as if to stifle a scream.

"I'm not sure about a lot of what you just said," Sid admitted, "But I think I get the picture...Wow. To take out one's own underling just because they failed at something...That's...Is that how you do things here? The Blue Sea is a lot crueler than I thought."

"No," Mashira said and puffed up his chest, "The Blue Sea is a wonderful place. There are just some bad eggs out there, that's all."

He turned Sid away from the man and he pushed her down the street in the direction that they came from.

"We'll come back into town tomorrow. When everything's cleaned up," Shoujo suggested.

"This will all be fixed by tomorrow?" Sid asked.

"Maybe not all but you'll be surprised by how quickly this town bounces back," Shoujo said, "They get attacked by pirates all the time."

Sid folded her arms across her chest and she frowned. "I don't understand. I thought pirates were like Luffy and them. Or like old man Cricket, before he gave that up."

Over her head, Shoujo and Mashira exchanged looks and then the older sibling patted Sid on the shoulder. "The more time you spend down here, the more you'll understand."

When they returned back to Cricket's house, the old man was not pleased to hear about this turn of events.

"Ugh. Those Bellamy pirates cause nothing but trouble. They can't just go quietly to another island," Cricket grumbled. He looked at Sid from the corner of his eyes and he folded his arms over his chest, "Well...Maybe we should go to another island then."

"What?!" Mashira and Shoujo couldn't believe their ears, "Are you serious, old-timer?!"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Cricket demanded. He rubbed his chin and began to pace around his living room, "I mean, since we now know where the City of Gold really is, there's no need for me to dive every day...and if Sid wants to learn more about this world, she's not going to learn from this sleepy ol' island. Especially if she wants to learn about trees…Ah!"

He snapped his fingers and then stormed over to his desk, on the other side of the room. He yanked open the desk drawer and pulled out a stack of envelopes and packets. He shuffled through them until finally, he found what he was looking for.

"Ah ha!" he said as he opened up a large packet and started to read out loud the contents of the letter in one breath, "Dear-Captain-I-hope-this-letter-finds-you-well-blah-blah-blah-blah-I-apologize-for-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-I-am-now- YES!"

He looked up at the scavenging apes and the Shandian, who was looking at him as if he had just grown an extra head. He grinned and continued to read but much slower this time. "'I am now a proud farmer on the island of Lisart. If you ever find it in your heart to forgive me for leaving the crew, I will be happy to welcome you to my new home. Sincerely, Iwan Fanifer.'"

"I don't understand," Sid said bluntly and then looked to the two flanking her sides, "Do you understand?"

"Not at all," they both said.

"Iwan used to be part of my crew," Cricket said and he reached into the still opened packet, "And he wrote to me a few years ago, apologizing for leaving in that fashion. As you can see in his letter, he's now a farmer, which is exactly who Sid needs to talk to."

"A farmer?" Sid asked.

"He grows things," Cricket replied.

Sid's eyes widened. "So he can help me?! Teach me about the things that grow here?"

Cricket shrugged. "Worth a shot."

"But how would we get to Lisart?" Mashira protested.

Cricket pulled out an Eternal Pose from his packet and he grinned. "Iwan was always a very thorough man."

* * *

_-Somewhere in the Grand Line, On the Polar Tang-_

"Captain! Captain!"

"Bepo," Law sighed as he rested an elbow on his desk, pinning down the folded newspaper that he was in the middle of reading, and rubbed his eyes with the same hand, "Didn't I ask you not to disturb me unless it was absolutely necessary?"

"Yes, but-"

"Is it absolutely necessary?"

Bepo's lips snapped shut and he thought very hard about it. He opened his mouth only to shut it again to rethink his answer.

Curiosity got the better of the Heart Pirate. He turned off his desk lamp and slowly looked up at the conflicted polar bear under his door frame. "Okay. What is it?"

"Shachi and Penguin got into a fight over Ikkaku-chan."

"Again?!"

Bepo's shoulders slumped even further. "Sorry…"

"Not your fault, Bepo," Law said as he rubbed his eyes again, "If I knew having a woman join our crew would be this much of a problem, I wouldn't-"

Bepo gasped. "It's not a problem! She's not a problem at all."

"Then why did you get me then?" Law demanded.

"Sorry…"

"Okay, Bepo…" Law said slowly as he fought hard to control at least the tone of his voice. The annoyance he felt was something he'll let run freely inside, "Where are Shachi and Penguin?"

"In the Sonar Equipment Room."

"Of course," Law mumbled, "That's where Ikkaku is stationed. Why wouldn't they cause trouble in front of a woman they want to impress?"

The air in the submarine was hot and humid. The uncomfortable thickness that blanketed over Law's exposed skin was enough to tell him that they should surface immediately. He couldn't imagine how hard of a time Bepo was having with it. At least Law had the option to take off his hoodie. Bepo couldn't shed his own skin.

But he could if I used my power, right?, Law mused to himself as he walked down the corridor and down a flight of stairs. His pace was steady and sure. When he passed by one of his crew members, they'd greet him with a cheerful smile but all he gave them was a curt nod back.

By the time he reached the Sonar Equipment Room, he had thought of a feasible option to temporarily relieve Bepo of his thick fur...If the polar bear agreed to it, of course. It would be a sight to see. Alarming, yes, but Law had to admit it would be just amusing enough for him to try it without informing the rest of the crew.

He opened the door, already getting an inkling of what to expect from the racket inside the room, and stared blank faced at his brawling engineers.

"She asked for my help!" Penguin said as he locked Shachi's head between his legs and pulled at his arm.

"NO!" Shachi used the power of his legs to turn to his side, knocking Penguin on his back. Shachi jabbed his elbow into Penguin's stomach. "She asked me!"

"Captain!" Ikkaku gasped when she spotted Law at the door. Her curly brown hair bounced in the air as she straightened up her stance and she gave him a full salute.

Law stifled a smirk. Ikkaku may be the source of this fight but she was the most disciplined of the room. Maybe even of the entire crew. Minus himself, of course.

"Eh? Captain?" Penguin and Shachi asked as they slowly looked up at the door. "AH! Captain!"

They scrambled to their feet and pointed a finger at each other. "He started it!"

"Are you five years old?" Law demanded, "Rolling around the floor and blaming things on each other. Is this how you should be acting in front of Ikkaku? You are both her superiors. She joined our crew because she had an interest in the mechanics of our ship. As the Co-Head Engineers of this ship, I expect you to lead by example and to be her teacher."

"S-Sorry, Captain," they said as they lowered their heads.

"Don't just apologize to me, apologize to Ikkaku."

"Sorry, Ikakku."

"I-It's fine," Ikkaku replied stiffly.

"And apologize to Bepo!"

"What? Why Bepo?" Shachi asked. His head went up to ask the question but one look at Law's face made him return to his original posture.

"The time you wasted on fighting is the time it could've taken us to surface this ship. It is boiling down here and if it's unbearable for me, imagine how bad it is for Bepo."

"...Well, he's a bear…" Penguin mumbled to Shachi but his captain had better hearing than they gave him credit for.

"And?"

"...Nothing…" Penguin said while Shachi began to snicker.

"No...finish what you were going to say. Clearly, it's something amusing."

Penguin gulped. "Well...if it's a bear...How can anything be unbearable…?"

Shachi and Ikkaku both let out a snort of laughter but only the latter had the decency to put her hand over her mouth and hurriedly give Law an apologetic nod.

"Are you done?" Law said. His voice clipped and his eyes darkened.

Both mechanics began to sweat even more. "Yes, Captain."

"Bepo!"

"AH! Yes, Captain!"

"Find a clear spot for us to surface."

"Yes, Captain!"

"Shachi, Penguin. Alert the rest of the crew and get the ship ready."

"Yes, Captain!"

"Ikkaku!"

"Yes, Captain."

"If these two idiots act up again, you have my permission to knock some sense into them."

"Yes, Captain."

With that, Law turned on his heels and went back to his study. Every step he took punctuated the same thought in his head.

Women cause nothing but trouble.


	14. A Sensational Experience

"Awooooooo!" Sid howled out into the world with her arms wide and a breath dial in each hand. She closed her eyes and basked in the wind and water that blew into her and through the leaves of the tree she was standing on. "Awooooo!"

 

"Oy, Sid! Come down from there! You're going to catch a cold," Cricket shouted from the base of the ship's mast. They were sailing on Shoujo's ship while Mashira and his crew were right behind them. The sheer fact that Shoujo had a lush, strong tree serving as the main mast of his ship made him lovable in Sid's eyes.

 

Sid said nothing as she allowed herself a few more moments to be in this blissful state. The sensation of being completely shrouded in this salty mist while the air rushed right past her was nothing she had ever felt before. She felt so alive. She felt so free.

 

She was beginning to see why Blue Sea people chose to travel on ships instead of using wavers. She might be from the sky but to her, this, this right here was paradise. Even though they had only been sailing for about a week, Sid was sure she could stay like this forever.

 

"Oy! Kid! Since you're up there charging up those breath things, keep a look out for the island!" Shoujo yelled.

 

Sid opened one eye, her only compromise from his request. "Okay!"

 

Boo hovered in front of her, surfing with the wind and enjoying the moment just as much as Sid. Every now and then he would turn to look back at her, to make sure she was still there.

 

"If you see anything," Sid said to her sky sheep, "Let me know."

 

"Boo!"

 

Even though it was getting close to noon, the sun was barely shining through the fog around them. The air was damp and the wind was strong. It pushed the massive scavenging ship with ease. Cricket could only hope that this good weather would carry through to the end. He had forgotten the joys of sailing and being back on one, and traveling once again, brought back all the memories, good and bad, he had pushed aside for so long. He was beginning to realize how much he had missed it.

 

He walked to the bow of the ship and rested against the railing, taking in his surroundings.

 

"Old timer, you look very natural there," Shoujo said as he joined his friend.

 

Cricket chuckled. "I was a captain, remember? But yes, it feels good to be back out at sea."

 

Shoujo remained quiet as he watched the old diver stare out into the open waters. His lips twisted in thought but just as he was about to suggest something, he was interrupted.

 

"Hey! I think I see something!" Sid shouted, "I see trees!"

 

Shoujo and Cricket shared a laugh. "Of course that's the first thing she calls out," Cricket grunted and then turned to call up to the Shandian, "What else do you see? Is it a forest or just a few tall trees? How far away is it?"

 

"There are clusters of them. Not a forest but they are still very tall and the clusters are far apart from each other and there's a big pile of Vearth- I mean, dirt, that is covered in trees. It's very high!" Sid reported.

 

"I think she means a mountain," Shoujo mused.

 

"Anything else?" Cricket asked.

 

"That's it but it's straight ahead if that helps!"

 

Shoujo pulled out the Eternal Pose and he stared at the direction of the compass needle. "Yes, it looks like that's Lisart," he said, "Alright, men! Get ready to dock. We're approaching the island. Someone get on the crow's nest and take over for the kid."

 

"Ay ay, sir!"

 

"Sid, get down from there! I mean it this time!" Cricket shouted.

 

"Coming!" Sid said.

 

There was the sound of rustling leaves, followed by a loud thump as Sid shimmied down the tree and jumped off the last few feet onto the deck. There were leaves stuck to her damp clothes and skin and twigs stuck out of her hair and she couldn't look happier while her sky sheep shook himself dry at her feet. The only cleaning up the Shandian did was a casual wipe of her hand to fling off the stray leaves on her messenger bag.

 

Cricket raised an eyebrow. "Had fun up there?"

 

Sid nodded eagerly. "I've never experienced weather like this before. The weather in Skypiea has always been sunny. This is...This is amazing!"

 

"Captain!" one of Shoujo's men reported from the crow's nest, "If this wind stays, we should be at the island in less than an hour."

  


"An hour?" Law crossed his arms over his chest and stared solemnly at the horizon, "Got it. Thanks, Shachi. Go back and assist Bepo. Penguin!"

 

"Yes, Captain!"

 

"Alert the rest of the crew. Who is on Guard Duty this time?"

 

'I believe it's Uni's turn to stay back and watch the ship for today."

 

"Tell Uni that Ikkaku will be switching shifts with him."

 

"EHHHH?!" Shachi and Penguin cried with shock and disappointment.

 

Law turned and he grinned unkindly. "I'll come down later to personally let her know that she has you two to thank for this."

 

"B-b-but, Captain! If you blame us then she'll never want to talk to us again!" Shachi protested.

 

The grin on the captain's face only grew bigger and more unkind. "Exactly. Now go."

 

"Aw man…" Penguin groaned as the two engineers turned to the hatch and descended to the lower decks. He jabbed Shachi with his elbow as he pushed past his friend, "This is all your fault."

 

"What was that?" Law shouted and the two quickened their pace and hurried out of sight.

 

Law rolled his eyes and he returned to watching the sea. The weather was foggy but refreshing, he'll give it that. It was a welcoming contrast to the stifling conditions of being submerged for too long. The sweat on his face was now replaced entirely by the sea's condensation. The air in his lungs was now cool and abundant.

 

However, it was far too damp for his liking. It was making his hoodie heavy and it was starting to stick to his skin. Hopefully, whatever island they're approaching will be an inhabited island with some sort of shelter for him to dry off. A restaurant would be nice. Maybe even a hotel or resort of some sort.

 

He was well aware that having been two weeks out at sea, with over half the time underwater, was making his crew restless. Hell, he was getting restless too. He knew it had to be done, though. They had to get out of sight and away from the Navy's attention, especially after the fiasco on the last island.

 

Being able to go underwater and escape enemy fire was exactly why he agreed to let Shachi and Penguin build this submarine in the first place. Had he known that it would mean spending days and sometimes weeks in confinement, maybe he wouldn't have consented so quickly.

 

They needed to resupply the ship for sure. Their pantry was only two cans, four jars, and six boxes away from being empty. Not ideal for a crew of 21. The unyielding pressure from sailing at the bottom of the sea had caused some inevitable damage to the ship that needed to be repaired and attended to as soon as possible. Law dreaded to even look at the gauge for the oxygen supply.

 

The Grand Line was an unrelenting and merciless opponent and Law was well aware of it. Much too aware of it. He wasn't sure if his crew was as cognizant as they should be. Yes, they knew what they signed up for when he asked them to join him but he did ask them under false pretenses.

 

He would feel guilty for lying to the people who he knew had the utmost respect for him and pledged an undoubtedly strong loyalty to him but he also knew it was for their own good. After all, asking them to take down one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea was a lot less appealing than asking them for help to find the One Piece.

 

Although, he doubted even if they knew the truth they would second guess their decision to join. If they knew what he truly wanted...What he was truly trying to do...They would lay down their lives to help him.

 

To the end is what they promised. They would follow him to the end.

 

If only they knew this would most likely lead to his own end...

 

Taking down Doflamingo was going to cost him his own life. Law made no qualms about that. Yes, he'll take the proper precautions and avoid if necessary but...if it really should come down to it, it would be worth it. He was willingly putting his life on the line to bring down that monster...but not his crew's. Their life was not a bargaining chip.

 

He had lost enough people. He couldn't take any more. He refused to allow that to happen again..

 

The news has been very quiet about the whereabouts on the Warlord and that was troubling to Law. Just because Doflamingo wasn't in the news didn't mean he was not doing anything. He had to be up to something and whatever it was, Law was going to stop it and expose Doflamingo for the monster that he is. It wasn't enough to kill Doflamingo. Law wanted everything the monster cared about destroyed, which meant not only his life but also his power and reputation.

 

Law was lost in his thoughts and before he knew it, the island was directly in sight. It was a lush island with grass and greenery blanketing everything. At the center of the island was a rocky mountain with sharp cliffs. As the ship sailed around to find a safe place to dock, Law saw that as they got to the opposite side of the island, the source of the smoke were large factories that sat on the mountain with an even bigger fortress at the very center. The mountain was enclosed by a stone wall at the base.

 

There were also many ships docked on the factory side of the island of many shapes and sizes. Rowboats were anchored next to a few galleons but the majority were caravels. There were two galleons in particular that stuck out of the group. One had a large tree growing right at the center of it's ship and the other one had a giant wooden monkey with cymbals in each hand as its figurehead. None of the ships seemed to have any type of pirate symbol on them so Law had the crew sail back to the greener side of the island to dock.

 

This was not an island that appeared to be used to hosting pirates, or at least not an island that many frequent currently. They had to proceed with caution. They found a small bay that was semi-enclosed by a naturally made rock wall. The boulders were smoothed out by the waves and they formed a handlike shape. It's rock fingers poked out of the water and shielded whoever rested in its palm from the crashing waves and the jagged coastline.

 

When they were anchored and ready to disembark, Law split his crew. The medical team was to go with the cook, Verner, to pick up food supplies. The mechanical team, led by Shachi and Penguin, were first to stay behind to assess the condition of the Polar Tang and then to head into town to get anything the ship needed for repairs. That left Law and Bepo to explore the island and get any useful intel they might have.

 

"Regroup back on the ship in four hours. Is that clear?" Law demanded.

 

"Yes, Captain!"

 

The captain and the navigator disembarked first. They walked along the coastline, down a lightly tread road, towards the factory side. The green side of the island turned out to be occupied by farmers. They could see crops of all sorts extending all the way to the base of the mountain with a few farmhouses scattered here and there. They saw more fruits and vegetables than they did people.

 

"It's so nice," Bepo said, his mouth watering as they passed by a fenced-in cornfield, "Nice and quiet."

 

"Ah."

 

"Oh. Captain! Someone's coming."

 

There was a farmer in the middle of pushing a wheelbarrow full of root vegetables down the trail towards them. He was a middle-aged man with reddish brown hair and dusty blue overalls. As he approached the pair, he slowed down and eyed them warily as he approached.

 

"Afternoon," he called out, "Are you looking for someone?"

 

"Why would you say that?" Law asked.

 

"No one ever comes 'round here unless they're looking for information," the farmer said, "Especially not folks with a pet bear."

 

"I'm not a pet," Bepo huffed and crossed his arms.

 

The farmer's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "It can talk?!"

 

"I can do a lot of other things too," Bepo sulked.

 

"We're not looking for anyone in particular," Law replied, eager to move both this conversation and himself along, "But we are looking for information. We stopped here to resupply our ship and it would be helpful to know the fastest way to get into town."

 

"Yep. Yep. Yep," the farmer said with a grin, "Matter of fact, I'm heading there right now. Gonna go and sell my wares. Since you guys are in need of supplies, are you also in need of sustenance? Can't get much better than fresh produce. Pulled them right out the ground this morning. In fact, I have more back at the house. I can only carry so much at once."

 

"My crew is still getting ready but once they do, you will probably cross paths with them. You can barter with our cook to see what he needs," Law replied, "Now...directions?"

 

"Ah! Yes," the farmer said and then he turned to face the corn fields, "Hey! Padra! Get out here. I know you're in there somewhere! Padra!"

 

"Call me Paddy!"

 

They saw a few corn stalks rustle and shake against each other. Then the shaking carried down the field until a teenage boy with the same color hair as the farmer came running out towards them. Unlike the farmer, his clothes were cleaner. He wore a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow and brown pants. He covered his hair with a flat brown cap. He had a newspaper folded and tucked under his arm and a pen and notepad held tightly in his hands.

 

The farmer looked the boy up and down and then shook his head with a smile. "It's rude to spy on people, Padra."

 

The boy ignored the farmer and he tipped his cap to Law. "I noticed that you docked your ship all the way at Whitroy Cove. Why's that?"

 

"Why not?" Law shot back coolly.

 

"Now, now, Padra!" the farmer scolded, "This isn't the time for one of your little stories. Just take these men to town while I go find this young man's crew and see what they need from our farm. You said they were docked at Whitroy Cove?"

 

"Yes, but for the last time, I hate being called Padra. Call me Paddy. I-" the boy started to protested.

 

"Go along!" the farmer said sternly and then he smiled at the pirates, "Don't mind my boy. He seems to think of himself as some kind of newspaper man-"

 

"Journalist. I'm a journalist," Paddy corrected.

 

"It's all because of those factories," the farmer clucked, "Ever since they opened a few years back, all everyone can talk about is the news and the newspaper. They should worry about themselves more rather than sticking their nose in other people's business, I say."

 

"That's not what a journalist does," Paddy said. He threw his hands up in the air with pencil and notepad still in hand, "It's about revealing the truth and sharing other people's stories."

 

"What are those factories then?" Law asked, "How does it relate to the news?"

 

"I'll explain everything on the way to town," Paddy replied and started to head down the road, "Follow me."

 

"Ah," Law said. He gave a curt nod to the farmer and followed Paddy.

 

As soon as they were out of earshot from his dad, Paddy slowed his pace so he was walking side by side with Law. "You're a pirate, aren't you? You're Trafalgar Law. Captain of the Heart Pirates. You attacked the Naval Base on Benrey Archipelago and earned yourself a bounty of 60 million bellis."

 

Law raised an eyebrow while everyone else behind him stiffened. "Yes, that's true." He eyed the newspaper still folded under Paddy's arm, "Are you going to report me to the authorities on this island?"

 

"No," Paddy said, "I'd like to make a deal with you."

 

"A deal?" Law asked.

 

"A journalist is only as good as his sources," Paddy said, "And I need one. A good one. An up and coming pirate like yourself would do just fine."

 

This time both of Law's eyebrows went up and he frowned. He'd been called many things in his life but "up and coming" was not one of them. "So you want me to give you information?"

 

"You just need to tell me your side of the story," Paddy said and put his pen to his notepad, "What happened on Benrey Archipelago? Did you really take out all three Naval offices and their fleet? What made you do it? Did the marines have something you want? Treasure? A crew member as hostage?"

 

"Hostage?" Bepo huffed, "I wouldn't call myself a hostage. I was just-"

 

"Bepo!" Law said sternly.

 

Bepo's head lowered while Paddy's eyes lit up. "Sorry…"

 

Paddy turned towards the bear while walking backwards down the road. "So they took you in…" he said and started to scribble on his notepad, "Did your your captain come to save you?"

 

Law scowled. "That's enough! You already know more than you should. Now it's our turn. Information for information. Tell me more about these factories. What do they have to do with the news?"

 

Paddy returned to walking normally and he stuffed his notepad back in his pocket, not at all phased by Law's outburst. "Well, up until a few years ago this island was nothing but farmland. It was a quiet life...Life was okay, I guess but that was it. It was just okay... but then our king, King Sadal, he made a deal with the World Economic Journal and they opened up three newspaper printing factories right here on our island! And then everything became amazing! Journalists started coming here to get their stories out as soon as possible. We have a whole newscoo dispatch setup. It's just...it's just been great! It's like the country finally decided to wake up!"

 

"I see," Law said as they started to walk up a rather steep hill. The road was almost completely covered by grass and weeds, which made it rather slippery since it was still damp from the foggy weather, "So not a lot of people come to this side of the island, I gather?"

 

"No! Although, the king did offer my dad a large sum of money if we sold him our land. He made that offer to everyone here but most of them said no, which is a shame if you ask me. Would be nice if the town expanded to this side of the island," Paddy said with a shrug and turned around to face Bepo with his pad and pen again, "Information for information. Now, how did you, a big bear, get caught by the marines? Did you do something illegal? Did you kill someone?"

 

"What?" Bepo gasped, "I would never-"

 

"Stop! Wait! Sid! Wait!"

 

"WAHOOOOOOOOOO!"

 

"Stop. Wait for us. SID! Do you even know where you're going?!"

 

A woman came backflipping over the top of the hill. When she was at its peak, something on her back caught the sun and everyone was temporarily blinded by it. She jumped high into the air, landed a perfect somersault, and skidded down the slick grass with her bare feet.

 

"WAHOOOOO!" she cheered.

 

As she practically flew by Law, the pirate barely had time to register anything about her except for a delicate pair of white wings on her back. That and the look of complete and utter delight exuding from every facet of her face. He also got a look at what had temporarily impaired their vision. The cloth covering whatever she had strapped to her back had slipped, revealing a hint of gold.

 

"Wait! Sid! Wait! We need to look for Iwan's house together!"

 

Three men came running after her down the road. Although, calling all of them men would be a stretch. One was definitely a man. He was smoking a cigarette while chasing after the girl and carrying two heavy bags of groceries and knick-knacks in each hand. Law could see a yo-yo at the top of the pile that was in danger of escaping.

 

Flanking the man were two large ape-like humans. One had flowing green hair and resembled a giant orangutang while the other had on banana yellow headphones and looked very much like a gorilla. The one with the green hair had a stuffed animal, shaped like a fluffy white sheep, draped over his shoulder.

 

"Are they Minks, Bepo?" Law couldn't help but wonder as the three chasers gave the pirates and Paddy an embarrassed nod before passing by.

 

"I don't think so, Captain," Bepo said as he sniffed the air around them, "Certainly doesn't smell like it."

 

"Who is that girl?" Paddy whispered. His eyes were glued to the woman, who was already at the bottom of the hill and cartwheeling through the grass, "What do they want with Ol' Iwan?"

 

"Don't know," Law said and then gently pushed the boy back up the hill, "Don't care."


	15. An Unprecedented Event

_Grandma, do you see this? Do you see this Vearth?,_ Sid thought as she sat on the steps of Iwan's front porch. She watched the sun slowly rise and turn the sky purple and the fields and pastures a soft yellow. A blanket was draped over her shoulders and Boo was snoring lightly in her lap.

Everyone was still asleep in the house. Iwan, Cricket, Shoujo and Mashira stayed up late chatting and catching up. While Sid went to bed early, she was too excited to really sleep. She had lied awake on a flattened out haystack on the loft overlooking the living room, thinking about all that she had experienced already and her journey had only just begun. It was this excitement that drove her out of her makeshift bed before anyone else. She was eager to start the day. Eager to learn all that she can. Eager to just be in this world.

They had only spent barely an hour in town yesterday and Sid was looking forward to the next time they could go. The town, itself, was only an hour's walk from the farmlands, half that time if Sid could just ride Boo full speed. It was situated on the outskirts of the island and Iwan had told them that if they go through town and head onwards the base of the mountain, they would reach a bigger town, Molaga, which was the capital of the Lisart kingdom and where the entrance to the fortress and the factories were. Sid could only imagine what awaited for her there.

However, with all the excitement, she did not lose sight of her purpose. They were told by Iwan that the farming territory covered almost two thirds of this island. Each farm grew a variety of crops. Sid couldn't wait to learn about them and possibly collect a few seedlings.

The door creaked behind her and Cricket joined her on the steps.

"You're up early," he said and handed her a mug of something hot and steaming, "Here. Have some coffee."

"Is it food? Good! Because I'm starving," Sid groaned as she sniffed the cup, "It smells nice. Like dirt."

"Earthy. We describe that as earthy," Cricket chuckled. He lifted his mug for her to see the contents, "I drink mine without anything in it. Black. But I added milk in yours. Since it's your first time drinking coffee, I figured to go easy on you. It can be a little bitter."

"Thank you," Sid said as she looked down at her mug, "And not just for the coffee...Thank you for everything."

"Don't mention it," Cricket said.

"You didn't need to do all this. You could've just listened to my story and then sent me on my way. I would've figured something out…"

Cricket shrugged. "It's not like I had anything better to do. Besides, I like helping out fools like you."

"Would you want to go to Sky Island? I can take you when I'm-"

Cricket shook his head and he held up a hand. "No. That chapter of my life is done. Noland and I have settled our score."

"I understand," Sid said and took a sip of her coffee. She let it coat her tongue, hitting all her taste buds and alerting her to the mildly bitter but deeply complex flavor, "This is good. I like it."

She downed her cup and held it out to Cricket. "Can I have more?"

Cricket gaped at her. "You finished it that quickly?! You're going to burst with energy!"

"Huh? Why? Is this something-?" Sid started to ask and then she stopped herself. She stayed very still for a brief second. Then she set down her cup and slowly transferred Boo to Cricket's lap.

"What's going on?" Cricket asked.

_Shing! Thwack!_

In one swift move, she pulled her trident out from the cloth and threw it into nearby row of tall tomato plants.

"AH! Don't kill me! I'm just a journalist!" Paddy screamed as he came running out with a slight tear on his left sleeve, "My name is Paddy!"

"Jour...nalist?" Sid repeated and she looked at Cricket, "What's that?"

"He's just a kid," Cricket snorted, "Ignore him."

"I saw you…" Sid said slowly and walked down the steps to meet Paddy, "I saw you yesterday. You were on that hill with that man and bear…"

"Oh good! You remember me!" Paddy said with a sigh of relief. He straightened up his posture and gave a slight tilt of his cap, "My name is O'Bearan Padra. My father, Fergal, is a farmer. He lives just down the road from Iwan."

"What the hell were you doing sneaking around then? This doesn't seem very neighborly," Cricket asked as he drank his coffee.

Paddy tilted his chin up. "Like I said, I'm a journalist. I wasn't sneaking around. I was just seeing if I could get a story."

"Sounds like snooping to me," Cricket mumbled.

"A story? You came here looking for a story?" Sid asked.

"Not just  _a_ story," Paddy said and whipped out his pad and pencil, "I want  _your_ story. Who are you? What is with your wings? And that thing that was on your lap? That thing is alive isn't it? What is it?"

"I'm-," Sid started to say. She was stopped short when Cricket grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back behind him.

In his haste, the old diver forgot about the sky sheep and he was flung into the air before naturally stopping himself. Boo opened his eyes and blinked sleepily at his owner while still hovering in midair. "Boo?"

"No comment," Cricket yelled as he turned his back on the boy and gently pushed Sid towards the door, "No comment ever!"

Boo floated over to Sid and flopped over her shoulder. "Boo?"

"Wow! So it  _is_  alive! What is it?!" Paddy exclaimed.

"Sorry, kid," Cricket said without turning to him, "You won't be getting any answers from us."

"Could you at least give me your name?" Paddy yelled out in desperation just as Sid went into the house.

"I'm Sid!"

_Thwack!_

The door slammed shut.

"Sid…" Paddy murmured to himself as he scribbled it down on his notepad, "Interesting."

Inside the house, Sid put her hands on her hips as she waited for Cricket to explain himself. When he didn't, she reached for the doorknob, only for him to beat her to it.

"At least, let me go outside and bring the cups back in," Sid said exasperatedly.

"Wait until that kid is really gone."

"What kid, old timer?" Shoujo yawned as he poked his head out from under the blanket. He and Mashira had decided to sleep right on Iwan's living room floor while Cricket and Sid had each taken a guest bedroom. Next to him, his brother stirred in his sleep but did not wake up.

"Nothing," Cricket grumbled, "Just a nosy neighbor."

"Why couldn't I tell him who I was?" Sid asked and folded her arms over her chest.

"You have to be careful of who you talk to," Cricket said, "Remember what happened to Montblanc Noland. You don't want to be called a liar, believe me."

Sid rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to hide who I am. If people can't handle the truth, that's their problem. Not me."

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Cricket scowled and flung the door open to tear a new one into the overly aggressive boy. "Oy! We already said-"

He stopped when he realized that the person who knocked wasn't Paddy. Dirty blonde hair hung awkwardly over a sunken, gloomy face, who's hollow eyes narrowed at the sight of Cricket. "You're not Iwan," the visitor stated.

"No. I'm not," Cricket said, "Sorry about that. I thought you were-"

"Get off my property, Leroy!" Iwan roared as he charged into the living room. He was a short and stout man. Years of diving had kept Cricket in shape but farming did not have the same effect on Iwan. He had a pumpkin sized belly that he covered with a red and blue plaid shirt, tucked into olive green corduroy pants. His salt and pepper hair extended all the way to his scraggly matching beard, "I already said I wasn't selling my property!"

"Iwan," the visitor said, unfazed by the hostile greeting. He dug into his ragged coat pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper, "I actually wasn't here to make a new offer. I came to invite you...and I guess, your guests...to the ball tomorrow evening."

"Ball?" Sid asked, "What's a ball?"

"Not now, Sid," Cricket muttered, sensing the tension in the room.

"Not going!" Iwan announced, "Tell your king he's not going to sway me with his fancy shenanigans."

"But he's opening it to everyone in the country. Even you farmers," Leroy said, giving a look of disgust for saying the last word, "It would be in your best interest for you to attend."

"Doesn't change my mind so you might as well leave," Iwan insisted.

"Fine…" the man grunted, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Warn?" Sid raised an eyebrow, "Warn us about what?!"

Leroy coughed. "Must've misspoke. Good day to you all," he said as he gave a nod. Just as he left, he was almost pushed aside by the teenage journalist.

"I am completely and ready to hear the truth!" Paddy declared as he stormed through the front door and scribbled away on his notepad, "As a journalist, it is my duty to tell the truth and reveal both sides of the story. So, please! Tell me everything!"

"Oh, Paddy! Good morning to you," Iwan said brightly as he ceremoniously closed the door on the man's offended face.

"Ah! This kid," Cricket groaned, "We're not telling you anything!"

"But-"

"Paddy," Iwan interjected, "Does your dad have any fresh eggs to spare? I'm running low. I wasn't expecting to have so many guests."

Sid winced. "Is this because I ate a lot of those sandwiches last night? I'm so sorry. I don't usually eat this much but I'm just...so hungry these days. I can compensate you with gold! Do you want some gold?!"

Cricket's annoyance with the boy was replaced by concern for his former crew member. "Ah! We didn't mean to intrude, Iwan," Cricket said, "We can stay at the inn in town."

"Yeah," Mashira said as he sat up from the floor and rubbed his eyes. Finally awakened by the noise, "Shoujo and I are happy to stay back on our ship too. Our crew is there right now."

"Please keep your gold, Sid. You'll need those on your journey and what are you all talking about? Staying on your ship? Do you know how long it's been since I had guests? And I could never turn away my old captain," Iwan said with a grin.

"Your old captain?!" Paddy gasped as he turned to a new page for this breaking news, "Do you mean you're all pirates?! Oh gosh. Two pirate crews in two days. Wow!"

"There is a pirate crew here?" Sid asked.

"I'm not a pirate!" Cricket exclaimed at the same time, "Well, not anymore at least."

"We're scavengers!" Shoujo said proudly, "The best on the Grand Line."

"Oooh! Scavengers," Paddy said, "Anything in particular you're looking for? Buried treasure? Sunken ships?"

"Actually, we were looking for the City of Gold. Ookekeke," Mashira laughed, "Until Sid came along and-"

"That's enough, Mashira," Cricket snapped.

"Sid? Was he talking about you? You know something about the City of Gold?" Paddy asked to the Shandian and then continued to write. He didn't notice the glare Cricket was shooting at the rest of the room, daring them to say anything else.

"Paddy," Iwan said gently, "The eggs?"

"I'll ask my dad when I get home," Paddy said, oblivious to the atmosphere, and then he grinned at the winged woman, "Well?"

A firm smile locked on to Sid's face and she put her hands on her hips. "I'm Sid. A warrior of the Shandian tribe, now returned to the ancient city of Shandora, a legendary city of gold...Which is now part of the country of Skypiea, a sky island."

"Sid!" Cricket yelled as Mashira, Shoujo, and Iwan all buried their face in their hands.

The tip of Paddy's pencil broke from how hard he was writing but that did not stop him one bit. "Wow! Wow! Amazing! Go on! You're from an island IN THE SKY?! How'd you get down here then?!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Cricket fumed and he tore the notepad away from Paddy's hands. On her shoulder, Boo shrank a little and tucked himself behind Sid's neck, using her two low hair buns as extra cover.

"Hey! That's mine!" Paddy said as Cricket began to rip away the pieces of paper concerning them, "HEY!"

"Sid, believe it or not, I'm trying to  _protect_  you!" Cricket said, "You don't understand how cruel the people here can be!"

Sid couldn't believe her eyes and ears as she watched the old diver shred the pages into little bits. "I fought in a 400-year war! Of course I understand!"

Paddy's eyes widened. "A 400-year old war?! How old are you? Are you an ANGEL?!"

"No.  _I_ didn't actually fight all those- Ah! One person at a time!" Sid shouted and then pointed her finger at Cricket mostly to help herself keep focus, "I may not know how things work down here but I am familiar with how  _people_ work. I might not have spent much time down here but I wasn't born yesterday. I  _know_  how dangerous and cruel people can be.  _Believe me."_

She brought her fists to her sides but kept her eyes locked on the old diver. "I don't care if people laugh at me. I don't care if they don't believe me. I spent my whole life putting my own selfish desires and dreams to the side for my people. Now that the war is over, I can finally do what I want and just  _be me!_ So I'm not going to hide who I am."

The room fell into a long and uncomfortable silence as everyone waited for either Sid or Cricket to say something. Finally, the old man sighed and handed the notepad back to Paddy. "Sorry," he said and rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess there's still a chip on my shoulder."

Sid sighed and folded her arms across her chest. "I understand."

Iwan gave a small cough and he smiled when they turned to look at him. "Paddy, why don't you take Sid to town, get some food for her there, and bring back some eggs for me? Maybe some bacon while you're at it. You know this land just as well as I do. You can introduce her to all the different crops you pass by. There's still a farmer's brain under that journalist cap, I know it."

"Sure," Paddy said as he adjusted the cap on his head and took back his notepad with loose pages fluttering to the floor, "Sid?"

Sid waited for Cricket to object but when he said nothing, she shrugged and gave a nod. "Alright. Let's go. I'm going to take Boo with me, okay?"

Cricket let out a snort. "Do what you want. Why are you asking me for permission? You're a free woman."

"Yes," Sid said with a relieved smile, "Yes, I am."

Sid and Paddy were both delighted to find how easy it was to talk to one another. They both had a lot of questions for each other and answered them with equal enthusiasm. Their journey through the fields, up the hills, and around the coastline to town went by a lot sooner than either of them expected and before they knew it, they were walking down the main street.

When the Shandian had first arrived in town the previous day, she was struck by how vastly different it was to both the farmlands and Mock Town. The wide streets were paved with cobblestones and the buildings that lined each side were also made with the same sturdy, grey rock. Wooden signs hung outside each business with weathered green and bronze paint indicating what kind of establishment it was. She and the Saruyama Alliance had visited a lot of them, including the bakery, the toy shop, and a general store that was pretty much a museum of Blue Sea wares to Sid.

The town had been busy the day before but it was nothing compared to the commotion that was happening in front of Sid and Paddy. The street was practically jammed full of people. It was all Sid and Paddy could do to grab a sandwich and squeeze there way towards the front of the general store, which was so crowded there was a line of people just waiting to get in.

"Wh-What's going on here?" Sid asked with her mouth full. She used her free hand to pluck Boo off her shoulder and put him in the messenger bag. With all the pushing and shoving going on, she'd rather not have him knocked down and trampled over.

"I have no idea," Paddy said with his sandwich still untouched. His hand held to the back of his cap as he whirled around to find someone who could possibly give them answers. He spotted a woman with an armload of fabric and ribbons hurrying down the street and he intercepted her before she could run past the store, "Hey! Hey, Gemima-san!"

"Oh! Paddy-kun," the woman gasped. Sweat beaded down her wrinkled brow and left a trail mark down her heavily powdered face, "You startled me. I'm sorry I didn't see you there. I'm in bit of a rush to get home. You understand, yes?"

Paddy gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I actually don't know what's going on."

Gemima clucked her tongue. "See? This is exactly why my husband and I sold our land and moved into town. You have to convince your father to do the same. Staying back  _there_  means you never know what's happening around you and you miss out! To think, if you didn't come into town today,  _you'd_  miss out too."

"Miss out on what?"

Gemima clutched her swaths of fabric closer to her and she let out a delighted squeal. "Oh! The king is opening up his monthly ball to the entire kingdom!"

Paddy's jaw dropped more than a few inches. "WHAT?!"

Gemima let out another squeal again. "I know! It's going to be wonderful. It's not just the people who work in the factories! It's everyone, including the farmers! Oh! You must go back and tell your father, Iwan, and everyone else who's still there," she said as her hips wiggled by the sheer thought of the occasion, "Oh! I must be going. I have to make a whole new outfit not just for myself but my husband too. We have to look our best!'

"Y-Yes, of course. See you tonight then, Gemima-san," Paddy tipped his cap to Gemima, who was more than happy to go about her day.

"I don't understand," Sid said when Paddy returned to the general store. She was finishing off the last bits of her sandwich...She hadn't even bothered to get through the line and was sitting on the railing that lined the front porch. Her arms were crossed and her back was up against the support beam that went all the way to the thatched roof. Her messenger bag, with Boo poking his nose out from the flap, rested on her lap, "Everyone keeps talking about the king's ball. Does ball mean something different in the Blue Sea? Isn't it just something round?"

Paddy rested his elbows against the railing and leaned out so he could see the mountain that loomed over the island. He stared at the fortress with it's waving flags and imposing presence. "A ball is a formal social gathering with lots of dancing."

"Oh! A celebration," Sid said and she uncrossed her arms, "What is the king celebrating?"

"I have absolutely no idea," Paddy admitted, "But I'd sure like to find out."

Sid frowned. "Sounds like fun but why doesn't Iwan want to go? That guy you almost ran over this morning was the one who came to invite us. Iwan almost tore his head off…"

Paddy winced and he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah...Iwan is like my dad, he wants nothing to do with the king."

Sid tilted her head to the side. "Why? Did the king do something bad?"

"No! King Sadal is a great man!" Paddy shouted and then he realized how public their current setting was. More than a few people were eyeing them with curiosity. "Come on!"

He grabbed Sid by the wrist. He led her around the general store and to the back, where it faced a quiet back alley with no one in sight.

Sid eyed her surroundings but kept her mouth shut. She patted her bag and Boo came floating out of it. He plopped on top of her head and looked curiously at the boy.

"Boo?"

"Okay," Paddy said as he took off his cap and raked his hand through his hair. He flipped the cap back on and he took a deep breath, "You see those factories and the fortress up in the mountain?"

"Yes?"

"Well, those weren't here a few years ago. The only thing on that mountain was the king's broken down castle. A few years ago, this town that we're standing in  _now_ wasn't even here. It was just farmland! Everything, aside from Molaga, which wasn't as big as it is now, was just farmland."

"What?" Sid exclaimed and then a look of outrage took over her face, "Who destroyed your crops?! How dare they take away your land!"

"Wh-What? No! No one destroyed anything!" Paddy said and he held up his hands, "Okay. Let's take a few steps back and let me start from the beginning…Up until recently, this country was a very poor country. Sure we had lots of land, great climate for growing all types of things, and an abundance of fruit and vegetables but not a lot of people came here to buy it. We're on the Grand Line. People don't know how to get here unless they know about it in the first place. Why would they come here anyways? For something stupid, like a carrot?"

"What's a carrot?" Sid asked.

Paddy groaned. "Not the point, Sid!"

"Right. Sorry. Continue."

"Then King Sadal made a deal with the World Economic Journal."

"The what? A book?"

"It's the world's leading newspaper," Paddy said and he sighed, "You  _do_  know what a newspaper is right?"

Sid nodded. "Cricket explained it to me. He was reading one the other day. It's a stack of sheets that informs everyone about what's happening around the world."

"Sure. Let's go with that. Anyways, King Sadal was able to convince the World Economic Journal to open up a publishing branch of their newspaper here on this island. Because of that, not only did more people come to this island to work in the publishing factories, journalists started to come here to submit their stories and also trade information with each other."

Sid snapped her fingers. "Ah! I think I'm getting it. A journalist is someone who writes other people's stories and puts it in this paper...and you said  _you_  were a journalist...so you want to put  _my_  story in the newspaper?"

"Well…" Paddy blushed and he started to kick the cobblestones with the heel of his foot, "I'm not an actual journalist. I don't work for the newspaper yet.  _But_  I'm hoping that if I get a good enough story, like yours, they'd publish it and give me a job."

"Oh. I see," Sid said, "And you think my story is good enough?"

"Are you kidding?" Paddy gasped, "A 400-year old war? An island shot into the sky?! A false god made of lightning? Your story is the most insane story I've ever heard!"

"Why do you even want to work for the newspaper?" Sid asked.

"Because!" Paddy exclaimed, "Because there's a big world out there with so many things happening! I've been stuck on this island all my life with no one to talk to and nothing to talk about. The only interesting that happened around here is whatever was written in the newspaper that day. If I become a journalist, I can get out and see the world! Meet people. Talk to them! Share their stories!"

"Boo!"

_Floomp._

The sky sheep was all caught up in Paddy's enthusiasm and he rolled right off of Sid's head. Without blinking, she reached out and caught him right by her ear and casually placed him right back on top.

"Okay," Sid said, "I get the factories and the king...and I get you...So why doesn't your father or Iwan like the king? It sounds like he was doing a good thing…"

Paddy folded his hands across his chest. "Ever since the third factory opened, the king has been trying to buy the land off of the remaining farmers. Leroy has been making the rounds almost every week with offers. My dad, Iwan, and many others think the king is being too greedy. That the town and three factories should be enough for the kingdom. They're refusing to sell the king their farms but the king keeps trying."

"Well, without the farms, what would you guys eat?" Sid asked, "Someone should still provide food for the island, especially since you said more people are coming in."

Paddy threw his hands up in the air, "We can get it from other islands! It's not that big of a deal. People are coming here from all over now!"

"Does your father hate farming?"

"No. He loves it."

Sid laughed. "I think you're letting all the excitement get to your head. It's fine if you want to work for the newspaper but if your father doesn't want to sell, then the king should leave him alone."

"I guess…" Paddy said as he puffed up his cheeks and looked away from the Shandian.

Sid chuckled and put her hands on her hips. "Well, we should get the stuff Iwan asked for. Whatever they decide, at least we know  _we're_  going."

Paddy blinked. "You are?"

"Of course," Sid said, "I'm not going to be the first Shandian in 400 years to miss out on a party."


	16. A Low Profile

"Oy, stop pushing!"

"Ow! Then don't push me back!"

"Stop it!

"You stop!"

Law resisted the urge to discipline his two mechanics and kept his eyes forward at the crowd.

They hadn't been at the fortress for more than two minutes and Shachi and Penguin were already fighting their way towards the front of the crew to get a good look at the ball. Although, for Law, calling this event a ball was very generous. Even though the chandeliers glittering overhead and the golden framed paintings lining the walls were imposing, the attendees were far from formal and lacked the regality their surroundings were decorated for.

Sure, the women wore gowns and the men had on freshly pressed pants, several even sporting bow ties, but it was clear that their eagerness to impress had the opposite outcome they were hoping for. The air was nauseatingly thick with the stench of mixed perfumes and colognes. The makeup on some people, men and women, bordered on something befitting a circus act.

It was very distasteful to Law. Not because everyone was trying hard to make a good impression but because Law knew that if the host, who stood right at the top of the stairwell and watched over everything, had only called it anything else than a ball, all this frettering and gussying up could've been avoided.

If the king truly wanted to open his doors to his people, he should've done it without any expectations. However, Law had the sneaking suspicion that the man presiding over them was not the king. For starters, he lacked a crown on his head but he more than made up for it with an air of self-entitlement that only a person with a significant amount of power could have. Secondly, the look on his face was of an utter contempt for the people here. If he was truly the king, he seemed to dislike his own citizens and sniffed down his long, pointy nose at them while leering at them through a monocle.

It was all a curious but unpleasant situation for Law but he wouldn't pass up this opportunity.

Their ship was well stocked and repairs would soon be underway. However, what the Captain of the Heart Pirate truly wanted out of their time here was information. As soon as he learned about the footing the World Economic Journal had on this country, Law was determined to meet, or at least see, the person in charge.

Law was no fool. The world's leading newspaper had close ties to not just the World Government but the underbelly of the world too. They got the inside scoop and were invited to private affairs that most people would not be privy to. They would most definitely know valuable intel that would be worth more than any treasure that Law would ever find, especially if that information pertained to a certain Warlord.

The Heart Pirates had found a corner of the fortress where they could watch without being too much in the spotlight. Sure, he heard a few whisperings here and there from people who recognized who he was but he knew that he was still a pirate rookie that no one would really take notice. Their underestimation to his capabilities was just another tool he could use in the future.

He made it perfectly clear to his crew that they were only there to watch and not to make a spectacle of themselves, which was why he had them get out of their usual uniforms and into their best suits and to have Bepo stay back to watch the ship, taking over watch from Ikkaku, who wore a modest beige dress. Even Law was wearing a white button down but that was the most effort he was willing to give. He had the sleeves rolled up to this elbows and kept his spotted jeans on.

Once he had a good idea of who was in charge, then the captain would make his move. What that move would be was still up in the air, thus the need to quietly observe for now.

Therefore, he was beyond annoyed when the teenage boy they had met on their first day came racing across the dancefloor and waving wildly at them. His cap was gone but the only other thing changed from his appearance was a worn brown tie hanging crookedly around his neck. "Oy! Law! Captain Law! Remember me?! Hey! Captain Trafalgar Law!"

"Paddy-ya…" Law said slowly, suppressing a scowl and trying hard not to glare at the growing number of eyes and louder whispers now coming in their direction.

"I didn't expect to see you here!," Paddy said with a grin that revealed just how much of a boy he still was, "Are you having fun?"

"Are you writing a story about this?" Law asked.

Paddy shook his head. "I'm here as a guest just like everyone else. I brought a friend too! She's...Oh yeah. Where did she go?"

He put his hands on his hips and started to look around the room. His eyes brightened and his finger shot out when he located his friend. "There she is! Sid! Over here!"

Law's eyes moved to where Paddy was pointing. An eyebrow raised when he spotted the winged woman from a few days ago. She was completely surrounded by a bunch of young men, all dressed to the nines complete with ruffled shirts and long black coattails. Judging from the cameras and notepads they clung to, they were all journalists and photographers, snapping her picture and scribbling down everything she was saying.

Law was bewildered that he had not spotted her earlier since stood out like a sore thumb amongst not just her audience but the entire crowd. Her attire was exactly the same as when he last saw her. He would bet that she hadn't changed for the last couple of days because he could see streaks of grass and smudges of dirt on her tunic and skirt.

Whatever she was saying was captivating the men around her and they were not deterred even one bit by the fact that she was eating an entire peach pie like it was a giant cookie. She had no plate, no utensils, and certainly no napkin.

"Whoa. Who's that girl? Shachi whispered from behind, "She's pretty."

"Are those wings on her back? Did she think it's a costume party?," Penguin asked.

"Oh! That's not a costume at all," Paddy said with a grin, overhearing the mechanics, "She's from an island in the sky. She says she's only been down here for a few weeks."

"What?!" the Heart Pirates gasped while Law's other eyebrow went up to match it's twin.

"Interesting," Law blurted out before he could think otherwise. To stop himself from scowling, and revealing his intrigue was a slip up, he decided to follow through with a question of his own. "Can she fly?"

"No," Paddy sighed with disappointment, "Unfortunately not."

"Like a chicken," Law deadpanned and his eyes moved to the flecks of crumb lining her lower lip, "A wild chicken."

The sky woman seemed to notice that they were talking to her. She looked right at them. Law could see that even though she only glanced at them quickly, she was sizing them up and assessing them in some way. When her eyes fell on Paddy, though, she grinned and came right towards them without signalling her departure to her audience.

She had a very assertive walk and her gait was long and fast paced. Even though there was barely enough room for people to get past each other, she managed to come right the Heart Pirates without bumping into anyone and without having to pivot or step out of the way.

When she got to them, she took a bite out of the pie, which had a quarter of it left, and frowned at her friend, completely ignoring the pirates. "You said this was a party."

"It is," Paddy said, taking offense to her judgement on such a special occasion.

"Then where's the dancing?" she asked and then jutted a thumb at the dancefloor in the center of the room, where people in gowns and suits were swirling around like a carousel of fabric, "Because that's not dancing."

"That's called a waltz," Paddy said and he raised his arms up, "Do you want me to show you?"

"Pass," she replied immediately and then looked towards the side of the room where a stage sat with a small orchestra playing on it, "While we're at it, that's not music either. At least, not for a party. What are those instruments anyway? Oh! Which reminds me! Paddy, what's this?!"

Without warning, her pieless hand went into her messenger bag and she brought out a ratty brown toupee. "I found it on the floor earlier. Is it some sort of cleaning rag?"

Law's face contorted into one of disgust and he looked at the woman holding someone's disheveled hair in her hands. Who would have the right mind to pick that up, let alone keep it on her?!

"Sid! Drop that!" Paddy said as he hurriedly pushed her hand down so that no one could see it, "That's someone's  _hair_!"

"WHAT?!" Sid shouted but then instead of doing what Paddy advised, she brought it closer to her and started to look frantically around the crowd, "Someone got scalped?!"

"N-No. No! No!" Paddy said with his hands still on her arm, "That's  _fake_ hair. Some men use it to cover their baldness."

"Oh," Sid said. She continued to search through the group and then suddenly, she threw the toupee at a bald man with a brown beard, "Hey, old man! Here's your fake hair back!"

_Thwack!_

The toupee was flung clear across the room and it hit the man directly in his face. A startled hush engulfed the room and whoever wasn't looking at them before was certainly watching Sid and the people around her now.

Law could feel the heat rise up from under his collar and he mentally counted to ten.

"Oy. Paddy-ya, maybe it's best if you and your friend-" he said slowly.

"Oh! Yes! Sorry," Paddy said as he spun around and turned Sid to face the Heart Pirates, "I should introduce you guys. Sid-'

"No. That's not what-" Law started to say but then a bouquet of hands shot out from behind him.

"Hey! I'm Shachi! Sid, right? Paddy was telling us all about you," the mechanic said.

"I'm Verner!"

"I'm Alari!"

"And I'm Penguin. Are you really from the sky?!"

Sid blinked at their hands and then she casually tapped her palm against theirs for a very hesitant high five. "Ah...," she said, "I'm a warrior of the Shandian tribe, now part of the sky island, Skypiea."

The anger in the captain was quelled and he brushed his subordinates arms away from him while he stared coolly at the winged woman. "Warrior?"

"Yeah," Sid said as if that explained everything and took another large bite out of her pie.

He couldn't glare any harder and she seemed to realize it as she chewed. She looked back at him and then her gaze went down to her pie. Then it slowly went back to him again.

_Pop!_

"AH! C-C-C-CAPTAIN?!" Law's crew members gasped when the warrior broke off a piece of a pie with her two fingers and shoved it directly into Law's mouth.

Their captain was paralyzed with horror and he couldn't think much less react to what had happened. His whole body had shut down, including his ever working mind.

The warrior, on the other hand, either was completely oblivious to his state or didn't care. She withdrew her fingers, leaving only the flaky crumbs and precisely sliced peaches in his mouth.

"Captain?" she asked, "Are you pirates?"

Law's fingers balled into a fist and they started to tremble, rebooting his system with anger. He spat the food out. "S-Sid-ya," he hissed, "What...what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Huh? Oh...You were staring at it so I thought you wanted some. You could've just asked. I would've shared. It's good, right?"

"I don't want pie. I don't even  _like_ pie," Law snarled and then he got even more infuriated by even having to discuss this in the first place. This was not what he came here to do and this was definitely a waste of his time.

"Got it. So this is called pie," Sid said with a nod.

"That's not the point!" Law snapped.

Sid blinked and then she snapped her fingers. "Oh! I recognize you! I saw you the other day. You had a pet bear!"

"Bepo's not our pet," Shachi interjected, "He's our navigator."

"Navigator?" Sid asked and then she put her hands on her hips, "Like the guy who reads Log Poses and stuff?"

"Yep!" Penguin said.

"Oy!" Law snapped. They were giving out more answers than they were receiving and that was not the point of them being here. He stormed right past the woman. "Excuse us."

He only got two steps away before the man at the top of the stairs clapped his hands and brought everyone's attention him. "Hello, dear citizens of Lisart!" he called out with forceful charm and sophistication. He raised his gloved hands out, letting the light of the chandeliers bounce off his gold cufflinks and the gold pocket watch chain that dangled out of his front pocket, "It is my pleasure to welcome you to this splendid fete on behalf of King Sadal. For those who do not know me, I am Chappuis Javier, the Chief Editor of this branch of the World Economic Journal."

He paused to soak in the crowd's applause and the camera flashes from the photographers present but it died down too quickly for his liking. He sniffed and cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Ahem. I had persuaded the king to open the doors tonight to all of you, good people, as to show a good will between the World Economic Journal and the kingdom of Lisart," he said with a flourishing bow.

"Where's the king then? If this is his party, why isn't he here?' someone demanded and Javier stiffened.

Law didn't have to look to know what woman would so boldly interrupt an obvious display of power and even though he was annoyed with her merely moments ago, he appreciated the fact that she was asking what everyone else must be wondering. At least he was.

Javier stood back up and he cleared his throat again. "Ahem...Ahem...The king was not feeling well tonight and he sends his apologies and his best. He very much wanted to be here with you all and is sad that he cannot-"

"I can take a look at him," Sid said as she finished off her pie and then brushed off her hands with two sharp pats, "I'm a healer."

Every exposed skin on the Chief Editor was turning red and he peered over his monocle, looking for the insolent woman.

"There is no need. We already have the best doctors looking after the king. He will be good as new by tomorrow," Javier said through a taut smile.

"Sid-ya…" Law muttered as he turned his head towards his shoulder to look at her from the corner of his eyes, "I thought you said you were a warrior."

"Can't I be both?" Sid asked back.

"Do you make it a habit to answer a question with another question?"

"Do you?"

Law's mouth pursed into a grim line as he faced forward. He should've followed through with putting as much distance between himself and this chore of a woman. Apparently, Javier seemed to come to the same conclusion as he clapped his hands once again and addressed the rest of the crowd.

"Now, that we are acquainted, I return you to the festivities. Please enjoy yourself and-"

"Oh no! Somebody! Somebody, come help!"

"Huh?"

Leroy came running forward through the crowd with a transponder snail clutched tightly in his bony hands. "Fire! Fire! In the farmlands!" Leroy shouted out, "I just a call from our watchtower there! It's raging everywhere. We have to stop it!"

_Bang!_

Without warning, the front doors slammed shut and the sound of something heavy falling down came through the stone.

_Thud!_

"Ah!"

Only Law, his crew, and the wild chicken seemed to stand their ground as the mob swarmed around them to get to the door. The men and women closest to the doors started to push against it and when it would not budge, they pounded at it with their fists, "Open the door! Open the door!"

"What's going on?" Sid demanded directly at Javier, who put a hand to his chest.

"How am I supposed to know?" he asked, "What are you trying to accuse me of?"

"Ugh. Do we really have to do this?" Sid groaned, "I told Cricket I'd lay low."

Law held his tongue but one his eyebrows raised as he studied the woman.  _This is how she lays low?_

"Do what?" Javier asked.

"Fine," Sid said and leapt up into the air.

_Shing! Thwack!_

The Captain of Heart Pirate watched the wild chicken leap right to the top of the stairs, throw her trident out and pin the man with the transponder snail to the stone wall, and then tackle Javier to the ground all in one breath.

_A warrior, indeed._

"Don't lie to me. You know something. I can tell," Sid said calmly and then without tearing her eyes away from Javier she pointed at the man trapped between the prongs of her weapon, "And you! Leroy! Don't think you're off the hook either. You're equally suspicious."

"What?!" the man gasped.

"Help! Guards! Guards!" Javier squeaked. Armored men with long spears in hand came streaming through the archways from both sides of them. They surrounded Sid while the rest of them marched down the stairs towards the front of the doors, "Help me!"

"Yes! Please open the door and let us out," the people begged as the armored men started to push and pound on the closed doors themselves.

"Sid!" Paddy shouted from the crowds as he fought against them to keep a line of sight on Sid but the crowd was too tightly knit. He was pushed and forced every which way until finally, he fell to the side by a hard shove from an armored guard, "Si-AH!'

"Hey!" Sid growled as she glared at the armored men, completely ignoring the spears pointed at her throat, "Paddy is a civilian!"

"So am I," Javier sniffed, "And more important, for that matter. Guards! Kill her!"

"SID!" Paddy cried as the armored men thrust their spears forward but only found themselves entangling their weapons with one another's.

"Eh?"

"Too slow," Sid said as she came down from the air and balanced into a handstand right where their spears intertwined. She then grabbed the spear handles to windmill kick all of them square in the jaws while using her hands to spin her around. As they fell back, receding their spears, she planted both her feet solidly in Javier's stomach.

"OOF!" the Chief Editor grunted and then did it again when she jumped right off of him, somersaulting right over the stairs, and landing perfectly at the bottom. She ran to Leroy, retrieved her trident, and pulled Paddy out of the crowd by the collar.

"Do you know of any other exits?" she demanded.

"H-How would I know? I've never been inside the fortress before!" Paddy asked.

Another group of armored men came at them and Sid easily deflected their spears and swords with her own weapon maneuvering herself around Paddy and shielding him from harm. Then she took the time to glare at Law.

"Are you just going to stand there and observe the whole night? Or can you actually do something?" she demanded.

 _Oh. So she noticed._ Law smirked and raised his hand. "Room. Shambles."

Suddenly, Sid and Paddy found them outside of the fortress with the Heart Pirates. A bunch of men in wooden tiki masks were pushing a large wooden beam against the stone doors, holding them closed. The men at the door were just as surprised to see Sid and the pirates as she was to see them.

"Wh-What just happened?" Paddy gasped as he fell on his rear.

"Come on," Law said to his men and pointed towards the horizon, where the starry sky was underlined by a smoky red hue, "We need to move our ship."

"Ah! That's right!" Shachi shouted.

_Tweeeeee!_

The warrior gave a shrill whistle and then Law watched what looked like a large floating cotton ball with a face fly down from the sky. It expanded to the size of a pillow and she jumped on it without hesitation. Then she looked right back at him.

"Oy! Can I leave Paddy to you?"

"What?!" Both Law and Paddy exclaimed.

"I can get back to the farmlands quicker if it's just me and Boo. We can go right over the mountain instead of using the roads," Sid said.

"BOO!"

"What is that?!" Law couldn't help but ask.

"Hey. I didn't ask about whatever you did there to get us out so don't ask about my sky sheep," Sid snapped, "Can't you focus?"

"What did you say?!" Law demanded.

"Erm...Captain?" Shachi asked from behind as he casted a wary look at the men still holding the doors closed, "Should we let these people out?"

Law turned to his crew. "No," he said simply, "We are only here to observe. Let's get back to the ship."

"So am I going back with you?" Paddy asked.

"What? No! You're going with-" Law started to say and then realized that the Shandian woman had already left.

He knew he should've been annoyed or angered to be suddenly saddled with this farmboy but after everything that has happened, there was one thing that stuck out to him that he couldn't ignore.

He might not leave this island with pertinent information regarding Doflamingo, but he could possibly leave with something beneficial. He wasn't completely sure yet but he wanted to watch this wild chicken a little more. She was crass, unruly, and blunt, that was for sure.

However, the way she stayed composed during the chaos, how she went directly to who she thought was the source while everyone else went to the doors, and the fact that she was able to prioritize completing the task rather wasting time to ask trivial questions, like what his devil fruit powers were, were traits that his crew currently lacked.

 _A warrior with a level head_ , he thought to himself,  _She could be useful._


	17. A Quiet Assessment

By the time Sid and Boo arrived at the farmlands, it was too late.

It took her and Paddy 4 hours just to get from the farmlands to the capital, where the fortress was, via a horse-drawn wagon because they had to go around the mountain. Even though she was able to cut that time in half by having Boo just go straight over the mountain, she had already mentally prepared herself for the worst.

When she arrived, the smoke was too thick and the fire burned too high for anyone to save anything besides themselves. No matter how much Boo rained, no matter how many times the Saruyama Alliance refilled the Water Dials, and no matter how many buckets of seawater the farmers threw on their land, the fire continued to rage until there was nothing they could do but to retrieve the people still caught in the fire and retreat to a cliff of the mountain, safe from the fires, while they watched it destroy the land. It was very jarring to the Shandian that despite the heat from the fire scorching her skin, how chillingly numb she felt on the inside.

"Everything is gone…"

"What do we do?"

The survivors had clung to each other and wept throughout the night while Sid had tended to the ones who had breathed in too much smoke or got burned, and too many of both. When everyone had been tended to and accounted for and the last of flames flickered into nothing, the sun was rising, shedding it's light on reality. The quilt of green and yellow patches that once blanketed over this side of the island was now nothing but a crusty rag of ash and dust. The farms and houses that once stood with quiet dignity were reduced to black, unidentifiable lumps.

"Ah! There they are. Dad?! Dad?! Where are you?!"

"PADDY!"

"Oh, thank god. You're okay!"

Paddy came sprinting up the trail and reunited with his father, both of them clinging and sobbing together. Very soon Law appeared too with his men behind him. All of them were still wearing the clothes they had on the night before. No one had time to change.

"Oy! Is Bepo with you?" Law demanded when he saw Sid, sitting at the edge of the cliff with Boo on her shoulder.

"Bepo?" she asked and turned back to surveying the damage, "Your bear?"

"Yes! My  _navigator_ ," Law snapped and he turned to call out towards the group, "Oy! Bepo! Are you here?"

"Your bear is not here," Sid said. She rested her elbows to her knees, and leaned forward, "Javier and Leroy are involved in this. I know they are. I can just feel it. I don't know why but I'll find out."

"I don't care," Law said replied, "This has nothing to do with me and my crew. I'm just here to find Bepo."

Sid straightened up her back but kept her eyes forward. "Crew...Navigator...You are pirates?"

"Ah," he said.

"Two and two...I guess that's about right…"

"Meaning?!"

Sid thrusted two fingers in the air. "I've met two honorable pirate captains...Luffy and Cricket….and now I've met two, who are not. Doflamingo and yourself. It balances out."

She couldn't have said anything more shocking or offensive to the Heart Pirate. He grabbed her by the arm, with the idea to toss her against the mountainside, but he was startled to find that she grabbed him right back, pulled him to her, and used her hip to hurl him over her shoulder. He dangled over the cliff with both of them holding onto each other by one arm.

"Oy! Sid!"

"Captain!"

Cricket, Mashira, Shoujo, and Iwan came running towards them along with Law's men but Sid brought out her trident with her free hand and held it out to stop anybody from coming any closer, all the while not breaking the glare down she and Law were locked into.

"What is your problem?" she seethed.

"Room. Shambles."

_Pop!_

Suddenly, Law was standing behind to her and the sudden loss of weight made Sid tumble backward right against his legs.

"What do you know about Doflamingo?," Law demanded as he pressed his foot against Sid's chest.

Sid's reply was in the form of her pushing Law's foot off of her and then sweeping her trident under him to knock him on his back. To her surprise, the captain smoothly jumped out of the way. Not wasting an opportunity, she got back on her feet and held her trident in front of her.

She was glaring but he could tell now that they weren't focused on him. "My fight is not with you."

"Your stance says otherwise."

Sid straightened up and then picked up the cloth to cover her trident back up. "Go find your bear."

"Not before you tell me how a sky person, who has only been around for a short time and doesn't know something as basic as pies or violins, would be familiar with Donquixote Doflamingo."

"I've seen the aftermath of how he handles his own men's failures. That's all," Sid said and then she tilted her head, "Why does it matter to you?"

"I'm nothing like him," Law said, "You know nothing about me."

"True," Sid admitted and then pointed out towards the farmlands, "But I do know that after what happened last night and witnessing this, you still find it okay to walk away without wanting to help."

"This is not my problem...and a word of advice to you, if you want to survive on the Grand Line, then you better learn how to walk away as well. You are a warrior. You should know to pick your battles. Or are you just a lost soldier looking for a new war to fight in?"

Now it was Sid's turn to be offended and she charged at him. He stepped to the side at the last second, in order to dodge an incoming fist but she caught it and managed to pivot on her foot and continue the punch's path towards him, forcing him to block it with his arm.

_Thwack!_

_Good reflexes,_ Law thought and felt the impact right to his bone,  _And strong. She would be a good sparring partner for the crew. Even for me._

"I thought you said your fight is not with me?" he asked coolly.

"Either help me or stay out of the way," she said. She stepped back and withdrew her fist, which was starting to shake, "Your bear is not here so just go."

"Are you some type of hero?" Law asked with a raised eyebrow, "Rushing in to save the day for people you just met?"

"I'm trying to help my friends!" Sid yelled, "I may have only met Iwan and Paddy recently but is there a time limit down here on the Blue Sea on what constitutes a friend?! How long does it take you to make friends?"

"I don't have friends," Law replied.

"What a sad, lonely life you lead," Sid spat.

"Hey! Watch your mouth. You don't know anything about our captain," one of Law's men called out. He had a long dark blue hood on his head with brown shortly cropped bangs poking out from the front.

"Yeah! Clione is right. Our captain has us," the rest of them chimed in.

Sid fell silent as the pirates came to their captain's defense. She knew she was lashing out her frustrations at the wrong person and she knew better than to let her emotions get the better of her but she couldn't help it.

She went back to the edge of the cliff and casted another glance at the charred fields. She felt the tightness in her chest squeeze into a dense, uncomfortable ball. She squatted down and covered her eyes with her hands. She was suddenly feeling very tired and very aware of how long she had been up. She was also starving and her whole being was drained empty.

Maybe after fighting with Wyper her entire life, arguing was the only way for her to communicate any more. Whatever the case, Wyper wasn't here to lay out the most aggressive plan for her to criticize. The chief wasn't here to play peacemaker. Kamikiri wasn't here to find a compromise and Aisa wasn't even here to complicate the situation.

Maybe Law wasn't the one who was lonely. Maybe it was her.

"Sid-ya, did you treat all of these people yourself? Including him?"

Law's question snapped Sid from her thoughts and she saw that he was standing over a man with the most severe burns out of the group. He was bandaged from head to toe with only his left eye and nose uncovered.

"Yes. I'm a healer," Sid replied.

"You've mentioned that," Law said slowly as he knelt down to take a closer look at her handiwork.

"What about it?"

_Knowledgeable in emergency care._

Law stood back up and leaned his large sword against his shoulder. "Nothing."

"Whatever," Sid grumbled. She got up to her feet. "Boo. Let's go."

"Oy! Sid, where are you going?" Cricket called and he rushed after her before Boo could even expand.

"I'm going to confront Javier," Sid said, "I'm going to find out what happened!"

"Yes. Because last time you did that, it went over so well," Law quipped.

Sid slowly turned her head back at him. The look the Shandian woman gave him was not what he expected. There was no rage. No annoyance. Instead, it was a pure and earnest look of interest and vulnerability. "Do you have any suggestions?"

_Able to push aside her pride and ask for help..._

Mashira and Shoujo swiftly to her and Cricket's side.

"Kid! We're coming with you!" Mashira said, "You can't do this alone."

"Th-That's right!" Iwan chimed in as he pushed himself to the front of the farmers, "We'll all come with you. If that Javier guy knows something, then the king must too. They've bullied us enough to get to this land. We demand answers!"

"Yeah!" the farmers got to their feet and nodded along with the old farmer.

"Where were they when the fires started?" Iwan asked, "At a stupid party that the king threw. And where were they when we needed help putting out the fires? STILL at that party. Using the excuse of being trapped inside the fortress to not come to our aid!"

"Yeah! They did this on purpose!" another farmer shouted and his wife next to him sobbed into her handkerchief.

The group soon turned into a shouting mob and it was interrupted by someone they least expected.

_TWWEEEEEE!_

"Stop! Stop!" Sid yelled after she gave out a shrill whistle. She raised her trident high in the air and waved it around to grab everyone's attention, causing Cricket and the two ape brothers to duck in order to avoid being beheaded, "No! No one is coming with me."

"Oy! Watch it, Sid!" Cricket shouted from the floor.

"What? Why not? This is our land! We have a right to defend it!" Iwan demanded, too riled up to notice his former captain's protest.

Sid lowered her trident. "You are civilians and you've already lost your land," she said, "If this leads into a fight, I don't want you to lose your lives as well."

"Oy! Don't let these old farm clothes fool you," Iwan sniffed, "I was a pirate well past the age you are now, kid. I became a farmer because I wanted a peaceful life and to grow life, not to destroy it."

"Same here!"

"And I was a marine!"

"Me too.

"Same."

One by one, each farmer stepped up and shared a confident smile with each other.

"You guys…" Sid whispered.

"Captain! Captain!"

The frantic cries of Shachi and Penguin interrupted the somber atmosphere and they all turned to see the two mechanics sprinting up the mountain towards Law.

"We know where Bepo is," Penguin panted as he bent at the knees and tried to catch his breath.

"But..But it's bad," Shachi added, "Real bad."

"How bad?" Law demanded.

"They were announcing it in town...They got him...That Javier guy. They have him," Penguin gasped, "And they're holding him responsible for the fires."

"WHAT?!" Both Law and Sid shouted in unison and walked right up to the two mechanics.

Law glared at Sid. "My crew did not do this."

"I know that," Sid snapped, "Javier's obviously trying to pin this on your bear."

"N-Not just him," Shachi said, "On all of us. He says the fires were the work of pirates. He has Bepo back at the capital right now and he says he'll execute Bepo at noon in the city plaza unless we turn ourselves in before then."

"What?!" Law demanded.

"Boo! Let's go!" Sid shouted.

"Boo!"

"W-Wait!" Penguin said, "Sid! They're putting this on you too. They think you're part of our pirate crew."

"Excuse me?" Sid asked while Law kept his face blank.

Shachi winced as he delivered the troubling news. "Th-they apparently saw you with us last night and thought that you are one of us...Especially since you left with us too..."

Sid turned to the pirate captain and then she did something that caught him off guard once again. She laughed. Heartily.

"Pwahahahhahahahahahha!" She threw her head back and she had to use her trident to keep herself standing as she directed her laugh right up to the skies. It was so loud it left a ringing in Law's ears.

"Wh...What?!" Law demanded. He may not know what the joke was but he knew he was the brunt of it.

"Sounds like it's your problem now too," she said while still laughing, practically gasping for breath.

Law scowled and he tilted his head down so that the rim of his hat lowered over his eyes. It wasn't as much to block people from seeing how vexed he was by the warrior's amusement but more so he can block his vision and concentrate on listening to her laugh. Was it a mistake or could he actually hear relief?

"...Fine," he eventually said.

Her laughter faded and she switched to a solemn attitude in no time at all. "Your power," Sid said, "Can you get all of us to the other side of the mountain? That'll help us get back to Molaga before noon."

_Not distracted easily and able to assess her resources and options._

"Ah. I can move us and my crew. I can't take everyone though," he said.

Sid looked to Cricket and he crossed his arms over his chest, "It's fine. Go with them. We can stay here."

Sid blinked. "Really? Just like that?"

"You're a free woman, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Sid said with a smirk, "I thought you'd put up more of a fight."

"I'm too old and too tired to fight with you," Cricket said, "And I know a lost cause when I see one."

"Wait! We want to go with-" Iwan started to protest but the old diver shook his head.

"If they are charging Sid and them with this crime, we'll need to find out who actually started the fire to get them out of this. They want names so we'll give them some," Cricket said and looked to the farmers, "You guys know your land better than anyone else so we might be able to find something. Besides, who knows what they'll do if we leave this land."

The farmers started to murmur amongst themselves but it was clear the old diver's point resonated with them.

Sid looked to the captain of the Heart Pirates. "So what are we waiting for then?"

"Clione!" Law shouted as his answer.

"Y-Yes, captain!"

"Treat her hands before they get infected."

"Huh?" Both the man in the dark hood and Sid asked in unison.

Sid looked down and for the first time, felt the rawness in her hands and the stinging pain along her fingertips as she held her trident. She must've burnt it when she was getting people out of their burning houses. She had been busy with getting everyone to safety that she hadn't even noticed.  _So...when did he?...and how?_

* * *

Law had to create his room and move everyone en masse four times before they could get to the base of the mountain that was close enough to town. He was nowhere near exhausted but moving so many people that far definitely took a toll out of him.

The collar of his shirt was soaked with sweat and there were wet patches on his sleeve that stuck to his skin, hinting on the black ink along his shoulder and arms. The fabric of his jeans felt weighted but this was nothing compared to being submerged for a week's time. He thought nothing of it and neither did his crew as they ran from the mountain to the city without breaking their pace once.

He had a strict physical regiment that he required all his crew members to follow, regardless of their fighting style and skill set. Being sedentary was one of the many dangers of being trapped inside a submarine for a long period of time. Inactivity leads to complacency and weakness. Thus, running at a dead sprint for an extended period of time was an easy feat for the Heart Pirates...which made the fact that the Shandian warrior had left them eating dust that much more impressive.

She didn't use her sky sheep, who was clinging to one of her wings for dear life. Nor did she use her wavers.

Every single Heart Pirate, including the captain, expected her to slow down or have her legs give out at any moment but she was gone from sight. They only caught up to her when they reached the edge of the city plaza but that was because she had to slow down in order to get through the crowd. Once the people noticed the pirates' presents, though, they easily parted to make way for them and to distance themselves as well.

"How dare you destroy our land!"

"You evil bastards! You think you can just do whatever you want?!"

"CAPTAIN!" the polar bear cried out amongst the shouting.

They could see Bepo before they even reached the platform he was kneeling on. He knelt on a stone platform two stories above the ground with his paws bound behind his back and a gun pointed to the back of his head by a man clad entirely in chainmail.

"Bepo! Don't worry! We'll get you out of this!" Shachi shouted.

"Hang in there!" Penguin chimed in.

Flanking Bepo was Javier, who stood with a sneer on his lips, and a frail young man that drooped over a wooden chair with a tall and handsomely carved chair back. His blonde tendrils swept a little past his shoulders, which had a tattered red cloak with frayed fur edges draped over them. The small golden crown that perched on his head was barely visible if not for a star-shaped red ruby that sat right at the center of it the size of a child's fist.

He raised a pale and bony fist to his mouth and let out a tiny and dry cough that barely made it to the captain's ears. "Kuh..Kuh...Javier...Are those the ones responsible for the fire?" he asked when the pirates reached the front.

Javier put a hand to his chest and he bowed. "Yes, my king."

" _You're_  the king?" Sid shouted out, "But...you're just a kid! How old are you? 16?!"

"Silence!" Javier snapped at her and then returned to his subservient posture to the king, "Those are the prisoner's accomplices, the Heart Pirates, my king. Their captain, Trafalgar Law, is the mastermind behind this."

The only thing that stopped the warrior from storming the stage and charging right at Javier was the captain, who grabbed her by the wrist firmly.

"Sid-ya, let me handle this," he murmured and pulled her back behind him, "They called me by name, after all."

"...Fine," she said and then wrenched her bandaged hand out of his hold. She reached up, plucked Boo off of her shoulder and put him in her messenger bag, "I'll let you take the lead for now. Until I see a need to intervene."

Law couldn't help but smirk even though he knew she couldn't see his face. "Then let's hope my leadership skills is up to your standards."

"Yes. Let's."


	18. A Surprising Acquirement

There were 37 armored guards surrounding the plaza plus about a dozen more hiding in plain clothes, nestled amongst the citizens. There were four small alleyways they could use as escape routes if necessary. Five if the Shandian could count on whatever that weird power the pirate captain wielded. Six if she rode on Boo and abandoned the others.

These were all important details the Shandian had noticed and kept at the forefront of her mind while she stood behind the pirate captain but what was at the top of it all was the unshakable fact that Law was in control and his presence was formidable when needed.

There were no signs of emotions on his face despite the fact that his own crew member had a gun directed at his skull. He didn't flinch when the murmurings amongst the crowd turned nasty and accusational. He was as solid and steady as a statue. With his cold stare at his crew member and his sword firmly resting on his shoulder, he was starting to resemble one too.

"Bepo," he stated. His even tone managed to slice through the noise and silence the crowd. Whatever he was saying, everyone wanted to hear it, "You okay?"

"C-Captain!" the polar bear wailed, "I didn't do it! They came right to the ship and-and-and-"

"I know. I'm asking if you are okay."

Bepo's lips quivered but he nodded his head. "Yes. I'm okay!"

With that confirmation, Law's eyes slid over to Javier, who instantly took a step back. He may have wanted to face the captain but he certainly was not prepared.

"Release him," Law said.

"Of course I can't!" Javier yelled.

"Why not?"

"D-Don't play dumb with me!" Javier pointed a finger at the captain, "You, pirates, waited until everyone was at the ball so that you could burn down the farmlands and destroy our lives!"

"What's our motive?"

"How would I know?! I'm not a pirate!"

"Good point," Law murmured and then he lifted up his hand, "Room...Shambles."

Within a blink of an eye, the polar bear was suddenly perched on the throne with the crown on his head while the king found himself kneeling before an executioner, who was now Law.

"WHAT?!" Sid gasped when the man in chainmail appeared in front of her. She, along with the rest of the crew, took several steps back away from him out of sheer surprise.

The king doubled over and hacked uncontrollably from the shock. His hands squirmed weakly against the cuffs that pinned his hands to his back.

"King Sadal!" the citizens shouted in horror.

"What are you-" Javier started to protest until Law silenced him with the pull of the gun safety.

_Click._

"We're pirates," Law said with his eyes staring coldly into Javier's and not even giving any attention to the prone king, "We don't need to sit through a trial or be accountable for crimes we have or have not committed. Bepo, clear the stage."

"What?!" Javier yelled.

Bepo swiftly got out of his chair and he rushed to the other side of the platform, grabbing Javier by the front and back of his ruffled shirt. The king's crown rolled off the platform and onto the street along with the Chief Editor. "Sorry, Captain's orders," the bear said.

_Thud._

The Shandian warrior smoothly stepped to the side to allow the man to fall right onto the cobblestones. Her confused expression was met by the smirk of the pirate captain and he gave a nod towards her and his crew members.

"Get out of this mess and then meet me back on the ship," he ordered and then he lifted his hand up once again, "Shambles."

With that he disappeared with the entire platform, leaving only a long, wooden dining table and 3 chairs in its wake. Chaos ensued in the plaza with the citizens fleeing the scene while the guards closed in. The pirates, on the other hand, seemed absolutely thrilled at this turn of events.

"You heard the captain!" Shachi shouted with a punch in the air, "Time to fight!"

"AHHH!" his nakama replied with vigor. Some of them rushed out to clash with the guards head-on while others drew out various weapons from nunchucks to pistols.

"Does Law do this a lot?" Sid asked with a tilt of her head, "Just leave without warning?"

"Captain sometimes leaves us in the dark," Penguin admitted with a grin, "But it always comes out in our favor as long as we follow his instructions. He knows what he's doing."

"Guards! Seize them!" Javier cried as he tried to scramble away but was caught by the collar.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sid asked.

"EEK! Nathaniel!"

"What's a Nathaniel?"

"Me…," said a low growl from behind the warrior. She spun around and saw that it was the chainmail man. He had his palm directed right at her face. "Needle Needle...Hose Spray."

A burst of needles blasted through the holes in the chainmail. Sid had to let go of Javier and she backflipped away from Nathaniel in order to dodge the sharp stream. Her messenger bag swung around her as she did so and the needles punctured through it.

"AH! Boo!" Sid cried out. She flipped open the bag and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that the sky sheep was not there. Instead, in place of it was a small green notebook that she had never seen before. "Wait! Where did Boo go?"

* * *

"Boooo."

The sky sheep was thundering, which should alarm the captain but instead, he found it undeniably adorable. Its cloud was dark and stormy with electricity zapping in between its fluffy mounds. It was hovering in a corner of the fortress dining hall with it's back turned to the humans.

There were no windows and the doors were closed no matter where the sky sheep flew and it changed its plan from escaping to sulking. Law suppressed the urge to chuckle, knowing that it would only perturb the sky sheep even more.

He couldn't blame it for feeling this way. After all, he did take the animal without permission. He had switched the sheep out with a notebook he knew Bepo kept in his pocket.

"Eh...D-Don't be mad," Bepo said as he took a tentative step towards the sky sheep with an unconscious king in his arms, "Sorry, we had to take you. Sorry."

"Boo!"

Kaboom!

A bolt of lightning shot right into the stone floor, scorching its point of impact and reminding Law of a child stamping its foot during a tantrum.

"Boo…" Law said slowly, "The faster you come with us, the faster we can return you to Sid-ya."

"...Boo..." The sky sheep's body started to turn a lighter shade of grey and eventually, it turned to glare it's glistening black eyes at the pirate captain.

"We'll get you back to her. I promise," Law said.

"Don't worry! You can trust the captain!" Bepo said with a fervent nod, "If he says he'll get you back, he'll get you back!"

The sky sheep looked to the polar bear and his cloud turned even lighter while his eyes watered even more. He floated towards the polar bear, leaving a trail of rain in his wake. He flopped over the polar bear's head.

"I...I guess he prefers to be with me," Bepo said as rain water started to drip down his fur and over his face, "Ah! Don't rain on me!...Although...that feels nice…"

"Let's go," Law said. He opened the door and ran into the hallway.

"Where are we going?" Bepo cried as he hurried after the captain.

"To find the treasure room. We're low on funds."

They ran up and down corridors and stairwells. It appeared only the grand hall, where the ball was held, was the only room someone thought to decorate. Outside of that room, the entire fortress was bare and weathered. Mold crusted inside the seams and cracks of the stone walls and floors. It left a musty scent in the damp fortress and at times the mold was so thick and vast that it covered the floors like an old carpet.

Law was not surprised to find that it was easy to get around the fortress without much interference. It was clear that most of the guards had been stationed at the plaza so security was at its minimum in the fortress. The situation was exactly what the captain hoped for. They barely saw any guards and any they did come across were easily and quietly disposed of with a quick slice of his nodachi. He wanted to conserve his power as much as possible.

_Purupurupurupuru. Purupurupurupuru._

_Catcha._

"Hello?"

"Trafalgar Law has taken the king as a hostage! He may be in the fortress right now!"

Javier's voice came out from a room they had just ran past and Law swiftly stopped and pressed himself against the adjacent wall to listen in. His navigator dutifully mimicked his motions.

"WHAT?!" the anonymous recipient cried, "What should we do? Most of our forces are in the plaza!"

"I know that," Javier snapped, "I'm heading over now with some of the guards. Close the gates! Don't let anyone in and out of the fortress and for god's sake, make sure to protect that! No matter what, we have to make sure no one gets their hands on it!"

"Ah! Yeah. You're right!" the stranger shouted, "I'll get right on it!"

_Catcha._

There was a sound of feet and papers shuffling about and then a man came storming out of the door with files clutched tightly to his chest. Law recognized the face as someone Sid had tried to confront at the ball. The man's eyes widened at the sight of the pirate captain, who leaned casually against the wall.

"What's your hurry?" Law asked.

"EEP! Tra-Tra-Trafalgar Law," the man squeaked and ran down the hallway with papers flying every which way behind him, "Guards! Guards! Guards! He's here! Help!"

"Not much regard for your king's safety, I see," Law quipped and ran after the man. It only took Law a couple of long strides to catch up to him and he grabbed him by the back of the collars. Law jerked the man back and the rest of his papers flew up into the air, fluttering down on them, "Should I repeat my question?"

"I-I-I-..." the man stammered.

"Ku...Ku...let him go…"

Law kept his grip on his captive while he looked over at his hostage. The king's breath was shallow and he wheezed his words while crunched up in the polar bear's arms. He offered no resistance to Bepo.

"He's...he's not to blame for this. I...I am…I can answer everything."

"King Sadal!" the man gasped, "What are you doing?!"

"I know what's at stake…" King Sadal whispered, "But...I think we're at the end of our rope, Leroy. I have no other choice."

Bang! Shing!

Law lifted his nodachi just in time to stop a bullet from hitting him squarely between the eyes. He tilted his head and glared at the smoking gun that was pointed right at him.

"Halt! Don't move. We have you surrounded!" Four guards stood at one end of the hallway while five more came at the other end. They stamped their spears on the ground and stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking the exits, except for the one at the center of the group of five. He held the gun and he was the one talking. "Unhand the king."

"Pl-Please lower your weapons," King Sadal said.

"I'm sorry we can't do that," a guard said and Law could hear the grin hiding behind his helmet, "We do not take orders from you."

"Then let me exert my authority then," Law said coolly. He unsheathed his nodachi.

Shing! Shing!

With two long slices across their chest and clean through their armor, the guards fell back on each other. Law smoothly redirected his blade at the base of Leroy's throat. The man began to sweat.

"Leroy," Law repeated, enunciating every syllable and relishing on how uncomfortable it made his prey, "Are you going to shout for more guards or are you going to cooperate?"

"Please! I'm just an employee of the newspaper!" Leroy shrieked and threw his arms over his head for a semblance of protection, "Don't hurt me!"

"Ku! Ku! Let him go…" the king said, "I can tell you everything you need to know. You don't need him."

"What a benevolent king," Law replied. He waited for a beat before moving his blade away, "Go."

Leroy lowered his arms. "Really?"

Law nodded and the old man hurriedly scrambled to his feet. He was just about to run around the corner when Law's blade swung once more.

"Amputate."

"EH?!" Leroy's upper body slid off from his hips and both parts of him fell to the side, opposite of each other. They wriggled independently and Leroy's head twisted over to Law. "What did you do?!"

"I changed my mind," Law said. He went down the hallway in the direction Leroy was sprinting towards and stood right in between Leroy's halves, "I want you to stay put instead."

"AHHHH! He cut me in half! He cut me in half!" Leroy screamed.

The king jerked up from Bepo's arms as the polar bear approached his captain but he collapsed right back down again after exerting too much strength. "Ku! Ku! Why...Why would you do that? I am cooperating!"

"I can't risk him following us or causing us more trouble," Law said and then waved his hand out, "Now...will you so kindly show us where we can chat, your majesty?"

The king nodded.

He directed them to the highest room on the eastern tower of the fortress. There were several guards already stationed in front of the heavily bolted door but the guards, along with the door itself, suddenly found itself on the outside of the fortress and plummeting down to the ground level.

When they entered the room, the sounds of fighting from the plaza rose up to their unobstructed level and they could hear the ongoing battle through the many open windows in the circular room. This room, unlike the rest of the fortress, was bright and airy with not a speck of mold or dust.

It was completely empty save for a thin, bare potted tree that rested right at the center. The tree stopped right below Law's chin and it's blackened branches looked like it could snap off with an average gust of wind.

"This...this is what the World Economic Journal wants to protect?" Law said and reached out a hand to touch one of its spindly twigs, "What is this?"

"Stop!" King Sadal gasped. He sat himself up once again in Bepo's arms and managed to stay upright, "You mustn't touch it."

Law's hand stilled and he looked over at the king. "Talk."

"That...that tree...That tree is a very special tree," King Sadal said, "It's been growing for centuries under my family's protection."

"It's not much protection, is it? It looks dead."

"Yes. Usually, the tree is barren and looks almost withered," the king whispered, "But...once every couple of years, it bares a fruit...A Devil Fruit."

"What?!" Bepo asked while Law narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Law asked, "Are you saying this country has the ability to grow Devil Fruits at will?!"

King Sadal shook his head. "No! Not at will. We can never tell when or how a fruit grows but it always occurs at least once every five years, sometimes sooner, and it's always some sort of Devil Fruit on it."

"I see," Law said and he looked at the tree with fresh new eyes. A Devil Fruit can appear anywhere in the world and at random. With that statistic, any type of guarantee for it to show up would be invaluable

"But...why would a newspaper be interested in something like this?" Bepo asked, "What would they do with Devil Fruits?"

"Trading power for information," Law replied before the king could respond, "Isn't what all of this is about? The World Economic Journal is trying to expand its power and influence...Even so far as to go and usurp the power of a king."

"Ku! Ku! That's right," the king said. His breathing was getting steadier and the color was coming back to his cheeks. However, sadness entered his eyes as well, "I...I am powerless and weak. As you can see, I have no fight in me. My father, he died very young. We share the same weak constitution. He left me to rule this country too soon. I did not know what to do...My people were happy but poor...That's when the World Economic Journal sent Javier here and offered to help…"

"They took advantage of your naivety," Law said and the king nodded.

"Yes. By the time I realized that they were taking advantage of me, using me only as their puppet to gain my citizens' trust, it was too late. However, even if I spoke out, there was no point in me doing so. My country was flourishing and my people were treated well...Until now…"

"The fire," Law said.

"Ah...They are trying to clear the area and grow trees to make as paper for the future," King Sadal said, "They are forcing their way of life on us without any regard to my citizens' wants and needs. I now realize they want to completely commandeer my country and replace my people with their employees."

The king's head lowered and his eyes moistened. "I only wanted to be a good king. I only wanted to help my people. If I had known...This is all my fault. I never should've accepted the deal. I am so weak. I am-"

"Scan!"

"Eh?" Even though the king did not see anything out of the ordinary, he could sense something washing over him, like a high powered spotlight shining down in every nook and cranny into his soul.

"Hrm," Law grunted, "I'm going to take a guess and say that your doctors have been provided by the World Economic Journal as well?"

King Sadal glanced up. "Y-Yes, that's correct."

"What about before? Who treated you and your father before the newspaper came?"

"We didn't seek much treatment," King Sadal said, "There was only one doctor in this country and we did not want to take him away from treating the citizens...When he did treat us, he couldn't find out what was causing our illness...The current doctors either."

Law smirked. "So that's how it is…"

"Captain! Do you know what is wrong with him?" Bepo asked.

Law nodded. "Ah...I can cure you, your majesty...and I can help eradicate the World Economic Journal from your country if you so wish."

King Sadal's eyes widened. "You can?!"

Law's smirk deepened. "Yes...Just give me this tree."


	19. A Partial Trust

Sid grabbed what remained of her tattered bandages with her teeth and pulled it off of her hand. The shredded cloth practically fell apart at the touch and it's blood stained bits fluttered to her feet like crumpled petals. She glared at Nathaniel over the top of blackened hand before working on freeing her other hand. Even though his needles had tore through her bandages and made it practically threadbare, it still felt distracting against her skin and she couldn't afford to have her focus go elsewhere.

It was by the skin of her teeth that she was able to block the incessant stream of needles Nathaniel shot out from beneath his chain mail. His power was difficult but not because they couldn't pierce through God's Armor. It was because of the Needle Needle user's blatant disregard for his combat with Sid, choosing to shoot out his needles from his entire body at a complete 360 degree angle, not caring if he hurt friend or foe.

The blood on her bandages did not come from her own veins.

Everyone else had fled the plaza and those who got caught in Nathaniel's storm of needles were finally dragged away to safety by their friends, families, and/or guards and pirates alike.

"Sid! All clear!" Shachi yelled from the rooftop of a nearby building.

"Ah!" Sid shouted while glaring right at Nathaniel, "Leave this bastard to me."

With one final rip to the last inch of the sullied cloth, she loosened her jaw, spitting out any tattered threads lingering on her tongue, and picked up the trident that laid at her feet. Sid's eyes fell on a dirtied teddy bear that lay strewn in broken pieces behind the needle man, "You monster...There were  _children_  here."

"Doesn't matter," Nathaniel laughed. His voice was gravelly and hoarse, "One kill. A hundred kills. It's all the same to me as long as I get paid for my work."

The humor never left his lips as Sid charged at him with her trident. She stuck the prongs onto the ground at the last second, using it as a vaulting pole to launch herself at him.

"Needle Needle Deluge!" he shouted. A flood of needles came shooting out of his chest and towards the Shandian. She held her arms up over her face to deter any needles from getting into her eyes while the rest of her God Armor clad skin kept herself from becoming a human pincushion.

_Thwack!_

She speared him right at the midsection, landing her knees right in his stomach and knocking him to the ground.

_Thwack!_

She punched him hard across his jaw, knocking away his helmet. It landed with a clatter against the cobblestone and rolled clunkily away from Nathaniel, revealing a face with a crooked nose and a deep scar that ran down one eye, sealing it permanently shut.

"You have no honor," Sid spat.

"Honor doesn't keep the belly full," Nathaniel sneered, increasing the tear in his lips and causing a small stream of blood to come out from it's folds. He grabbed Sid by the shoulders. "Needle Needle SPIKES!"

Sid flinched. No matter how hard her God's Armor was, it was no match for a thousand tightly concentrated needles that pierced out of his hands and into her skin but it only made it that far, stopping right at her bone. However, Nathaniel was merely using that as a way to hold her in place.

"Needle Needle...Monsoon!"

Sid sucked in a breath and ripped herself away from Nathaniel's hold. She flung to the side just as a cascade of needles came shooting out from the front of his body. The needles that were previously stuck in her shoulders ripped all the way down one of her arms and over a wing, tearing a few feathers loose and making a shallow cut down the blade of the wing.

Sid exhaled through her nose, as if ejecting the pain along with it. A Shandian's wings were always the most sensitive part of their body and there was no training to overcome that weakness. However, she didn't allow herself much time to recover. She rolled over to where she had left her messenger bag. She stuck her hand in the bag and then a beat later got to her feet, which were now adorned with her wavers - Wyper's old ones, to be exact.

"I'm ending this now," she seethed.

"Fine by me," Nathaniel chuckled.

_Clank! Clank!_

In two swift bounds, the warrior was in front of Nathaniel and she swung her leg up and over her head. She brought it crashing down on his head but he blocked it in time with his two arms. However, as soon as his skin made contact with the skate, he started to wobble on his feet.

"Wha-What is this? Why do I feel weak?!"

_Thwack!_

Sid didn't answer. Instead she bore down on her leg, breaking through his weakened stance, and landing her skate right into the crown of his uncovered head. Nathaniel face planted right into the ground and he stayed there even when a small pool of blood began to form beneath his head. SId hooked her foot on his neck and flipped him over. There was an extra angle now to his crooked nose and two streams of blood poured out from his nostrils. She could only see the whites of his eyes and his tongue rolled out from the mouth that was now missing some teeth.

Sid looked down at the drops of blood trickling down her arm and dripping from her index finger. "Tsk."

"Sid!"

She looked up at a nearby rooftop where Shachi and Penguin stood with their arms waving wildly in the air.

"Come on! We're done here. Let's go back to the ship!" Penguin shouted.

"What about the wounded?" Sid yelled.

"Don't worry about them. They have doctors tending to them now," Shachi said, "Come on before someone calls for more backup or something!"

"But I need to find-"

_Kaboom!_

The sudden explosion off in the distance put a stop to the conversation. Smoke and flames billowed out of the crumbling rock where the fortress once stood. Sid gaped at the destruction but then her mouth snapped shut when she saw the hint of a familiar white cloud moving up into the sky, under the guise of the smoke, with a man on her back. A man with a long sword resting on his shoulder and a fur white cap on his head.

"BOO!" Sid roared.

* * *

Law kept a wet cloth pressed against his nose and mouth and peered through the smoke in squinted eyes as the sky sheep navigated him out of the fortress ruins and up the mountain. At his side, he held the treasured Devil Fruit Tree that was covered in a larger damp cloth for its protection and to stop others from realizing that it was in Law's possession.

As soon as they were out of the smoke cloud, he looked at the map King Sadal had drawn for him and pointed towards the east. "Head towards that cliff with the bushes," he instructed the sky sheep, "The first factory should be right over the ridge behind it."

"Boo!"

As they raced up the mountain, their path was suddenly cut off by a narrow stream of clouds that formed in front of them like a fluffy, milky rainbow.

"What the-?" Law murmurred as Boo jerked back in surprise. The pirate's eyes followed the cloud formation and he saw a faded pink seashell hurtling down at the very front of the trail.

"BOO!" Sid roared as she charged up the Milky Road on her wavers and skidded right in front of her sheep. She pointed her trident right at Law's face, as he continued to stare at the Cloud Dial. "You okay, Boo? Did he hurt you?"

Boo's head shook as tears came to his eyes. "Boo…?"

"Don't look so surprised to see me, Boo," Sid said exasperatedly, "I told you I'll always come for you. Oy! You! Law! Look at me!"

"Sid-ya…" Law said slowly. His eyes shifted to her and one corner of his lips turned upwards, "I thought I told you to wait for me at the ship."

"You told your crew that. Your orders don't apply to me," she said and her fingers gripped her trident even more, "And you really think I'd leave Boo with you after you took him from me without warning?! He must've been terrified!"

Law shrugged. "He was thundering at first but...he got over it pretty well."

"Thundering?!" Sid jumped up from the Milky Road and thrusted her trident. Law easily dodged the prongs and caught her weapon. He yanked her towards him. She had to let go of her trident and brace her hands against his shoulders to keep herself from smashing into him. Boo was expanded to the max but there was still was barely any room left for her to stand on. She was on the tips of her toes and holding onto Law to keep her balance. However, this surprising turn of events didn't quell the warrior's rage.

_Thwack!_

Law's head snapped back against the impact of her head butt. With one hand on her trident and the other on the Devil Tree, he was completley left wide open.

"Gahhh," he groaned. For a second, all he could see was a blinding flash of light. When the pain subsided and his senses returned, he raised his head to glare at her. "What do you think-"

He stopped when he saw her pained and wet eyes. The sadness underneath it made him realize that the backlash of her vicious strike wasn't the cause of her tears.

"If he's thundering, it means he's terrified. Nothing scares Boo more than being abducted. I can't...I can't let that happen again," she said. The fingers that dug into his shoulders started to loosen but she didn't pull away. "Please...Please don't just take him like that again. I'm begging you. It's not good for him and it'll only reopen old wounds."

"This has happened before...I'm not the first to take him away," Law concluded with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Sky sheeps are rare creatures even up in the sky islands," Sid said and her head lowered, "And an adult sky sheep is too powerful for anyone to capture. That's why the hunters...they always target the babies. That's how I found him. In a sky hunter's trap...just a small, helpless lamb. All alone...And...it wasn't just that time either…A lot of people have tried to take him away from me."

A sensation of guilt was starting to creep up on Law but the pirate pushed it back with sheer will power. After all, he was used to keeping that emotion at bay. His whole existence was riddled with guilt and he knew he had to push it aside in order to keep a clear head. In order to atone for his guilt, he had to ignore it and focus on his goal.

"I took him because I thought I might need him for an escape route," Law said gruffly, "It was a spur of the moment decision. I didn't mean him any harm."

"It's fine. You didn't know about his past trauma," Sid sighed. She sat back on her heels, balancing in a low squat whie still on her toes and she folded her arms across her chest. "If I thought you had any malicious intent, you wouldn't have caught my trident so easily. I would've come at you for real."

"I believe that," Law said. His eyes trailed down one of her arms and it stopped at her unbandaged hands. "Oy. You better cover your hands or else you'll get an infection."

"It's fine. I rubbed a special salve on it," Sid said and she flipped her hand over so that he could see the palm, which was still reddened and raw but it also had a slight, glittery sheen to it. "I'm guessing you're not familiar with cloud catci?"

"Cloud...cacti?" Law repeated, "No. I'm not."

"It's like aloe vera but the juices are more milky and they stick to your skin a lot stronger too. My salve is mostly made up of cloud catci so it'll act as a protective barrier until I wash it," she said and then she sighed, "I used up the last of my salve so I'm going to have to rely on Blue Sea plants moving forward...Which...I'm guessing you know a thing or two about?"

Law smirked. "What gave you that idea?"

"You inspected my patients. You noticed my burns and Clione told me he was the chief medical assistant and the head of the medical team...which means he would only answer to the captain...and that's you...and if Clione is only a medical assistant that would make you the doctor."

"That is correct. I'm a surgeon, to be exact."

"A surgeon?"

Law nodded. "I specialize in cutting people open. I ate the Op-Op Fruit so I can turn anything into my own operating room."

"The Op-Op Fruit...So that's your power," Sid said and then she gave a pointed look at the draped object at Law's side, "Don't tell me that's the king…You cut him up?"

The grin on Law's face came out of genuine amusement. "No. This is payment from him, actually."

"For what?" Sid asked.

"For getting rid of the newspaper," he said, "Which is what Boo and I were going to do before you interrupted. Would you like to help, Sid-ya?"

Sid sucked in a breath. "So the king has nothing to do with whatever it is the newspaper is trying to do?"

"I'll explain everything later after  _we've_  destroyed the newspaper factories," Law said.

"We?"

"Ah...We. I'll ask you again, Sid-ya, would you like to help?"

"Would this help the farmer?" Sid asked.

"Yes," Law said, "However, I cannot say that it would be the wisest decision economically speaking for this kingdom."

"What econom-"

Law snorted. "Yes. If we take out the newspaper, it would preserve the farmers' way of life...for the time being. So...would you help me? Actually...Here's a more important question..." Law held out her trident for her to take. "Do you trust me, Sid-ya?"

Sid pondered the question, giving it as much gravitas and weight as he implied in his tone and expression. He wanted a clear cut answer and she wanted to give that to him.

She couldn't tell what he was thinking or how his mind worked. That was for sure. He also wasn't going to help her figure that out. That was pretty clear too. Whatever mentality he had...Whatever he was trying to accomplish for being here...For being a pirate...It was all left in the dark for Sid and he had no intention of shedding any light on it. She knew practically nothing about who this man was for her to trust him.

However, what she had gathered so far, she liked, more or less. He valued the lives and well-being of his crew members and the feeling was more than mutual mutual. Even if he wasn't one to show affection, his crew members did with unhesitating loyalty. He was not only a well respected leader but a smart one too. He did not do anything that was unnecessary and acted in the most efficient and direct manner. Even though he kept his cards close to his chest, Sid's intuition told her that at least he would never lie about his hand.

"You know what?...I think I do," Sid admitted as she took her trident. She grinned at him and then back flipped away from him and on the Milky Road, "As long as our goals are the same, at least."

That conditional faith was enough for the Heart Pirate. "Can you destroy a whole building by yourself? Are you familiar with the concept of a foundation or even bricks?"

Sid patted her messenger bag. "Don't you worry about me, Blue Sea Surgeon. I've got a few sky tricks up my sleeve. I used to be a guerilla, you know? I took out entire Blue Sea ships and looted them all by myself."

"A gorilla?" Law mused, appreciating this bit of information, "And here I thought you were just a wild chicken."

"What's a chicken?" Sid asked.

"A type of bird that doesn't fly," Law replied.

"Oh. I see.. Well, I do have useless wings so I guess that comparison isn't off," Sid said with a shrug, "So what's the plan?"

"You're willing to take orders from me?" Law asked.

Sid scratched the back of her head. "You know more about the situation than I do and you just said you were on your way to do something so might as well let me in on it."

"What about...in the future?"

"What do you mean?"

"After we are done here...would you like to join my crew?"

Sid twirled her trident in her hands as she grinned. "Naw. I'll pass on being a pirate. I'm just here to collect plants and once I get enough, I'm going back home."

"Even better," Law said. He rested his elbows against his knees and he leaned forward, "How about I hire you as a guerilla on a temporary basis?"

"Huh?"

"I need extra muscle on my crew," Law replied, "We can hold our own when it comes to physicality but that's just for now. As we get further into the Grand Line, it's going to be more difficult. You stay on my ship, collect as many plants as you need and once you're ready, we'll take you back to the sky island. In turn, you help protect my crew and also act as a scout when we arrive at a new island."

"You'll actually take me back to Shandora?" Sid asked, "It's okay for me to not be a permanent member of your crew?"

"To be honest, I'd rather prefer it to be that way," Law said, "It avoids us from having to deal with any form of emotional attachment."

Sid raised an eyebrow. "You're saying you don't want me to fall in love with you."

Her bluntness was no longer a novelty towards the captain. His only reaction was a stern nod. "Yes. I'll admit that is a slight concern of mine. I've had...some complications with a former female crewmember because of that."

"You can't stop someone from falling in love," Sid said.

Now it was Law's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Are you saying you would with me?"

"I'm just saying never say never. I've seen stranger couples happen just within my village. I was even the midwife to a couple of their kids," she said and then she grinned cheekily at him, "I mean, are you saying you don't find me attractive? Not even a little bit?"

"Not in that way. No," Law replied without hesitation and Sid took a step back in surprise.

"Wow...You're no fun."

"This isn't about fun," Law said, "I am not here to play around. I am a pirate for a reason."

"And what reason is that?" Sid asked.

"That's none of your business," Law replied.

"It is if I am to work for you," Sid said.

"You only need to help keep my crew alive. That is all. That, your room and board, and how to get back to your sky island are the only thing you need to concern yourself with."

"No. Not good enough," Sid said and she planted a hand on her hip, "You asked me if I trusted you and you said that was an important question so if you actually want me to trust you, you'll need to tell me what your goal is. What's the end game? Is it the One Piece?"

"You know about that?" Law asked.

"It was mentioned to me by another pirate captain," Sid replied, "Someone who is definitely more fun than you."

Law chuckled. "Then go join his crew then."

"I already told you, I don't want to be a pirate. You do, however, so let's get back to the point. Why are you a pirate? What do you want, Law? Tell me and I'll decide whether or not we have a deal."

"What do I want…?" Law murmured.

"If you're asking me to trust you then you're going to have to trust me too," Sid said, "So tell me."

Law looked down at his hands. He clenched his fist, watching the black letters on his fingers flex together, "I want to kill a certain man."

"I see," Sid said, "And...and you can only do that if you are a pirate?"

"As of right now...Yes."

"And...and you want me to protect the crew from him?"

Law couldn't help but smile at her clever conjecture. "Ah. If need be."

"So he's powerful…"

"In more ways than one."

"What's his name?"

"Ah...Now that, I cannot tell you," Law said, "My trust can only go so far."

"Likewise," Sid replied but then she stuck out her hand, "But you told me what you wanted to do and that's enough for me. I'll be your guerilla...Temporarily, of course."

Law stood up to the edge of Boo and he took her hand, giving it a firm shake. "Of course."


End file.
